Gee, Ursula disagree on recent arrests of johns on Seattle’s Aurora Avenue
Jul 5, 2023, 2:03 PM | Updated: 2:28 pm
Traffic passes along a north Seattle area, around Aurora Avenue, known for prostitution. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Police arrested seven “johns” along Aurora Avenue last week as a part of an increased emphasis on patrols aimed at buyers involved in human trafficking.
The undercover operation took place at the 12500 block of Aurora Avenue North.
On “The Gee & Ursula Show,” co-host Ursula Reutin said the arrests were great, but co-host Gee Scott didn’t agree.
“They just arrested seven johns. There’s no human trafficker in this story,” Gee said. “There is no human traffic organization. At least they (Seattle Police) didn’t comment on it.”
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Seattle Police said each suspect was transported to the North Precinct, where they were identified, processed, and released for patronizing a prostitute. Officers also impounded three vehicles as part of the operation.
“Children are forced into sex work every year in King County. So you ask, ‘Why do I care?’ or ‘Why am I worried about this?'” Ursula said. “It is so easy, right now, for pimps to exploit young girls online and then manipulate and abuse them and make it nearly impossible for them to escape. So, when you look and see how young they are, you will see that there are children out there.”
The county prosecutor’s office said 45% of children involved in King County sex trafficking cases are black, even though they make up only 7% of the population.
“The johns fuel that,” Ursula said.
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“There is a huge difference between human trafficking and someone doing sex work,” Gee noted.
Gee explained that 10 of the 17 counties in Nevada have legal prostitution within the state.
“The criminal justice system cares more for the guilty and rich than they do the innocent and poor,” Gee said. “Until that shift and that power dynamic changes, the problem won’t get solved.”
The Seattle Police Department has resources to respond to and investigate complaints of human trafficking, whether sex or forced labor. If you are a victim of human trafficking, resources are available to help you 24 hours a day. For more information, visit the SPD Human Trafficking Unit webpage.
Listen to Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin weekday mornings from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.
