San Francisco split over prostitution law

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- Residents and top officials in San Francisco say they are split regarding a proposition that would make prostitution legal in the city.

San Francisco in-call sex worker Patricia West is among a group of supporters of Proposition K, with many in the group saying that the proposed law's passage would actually help make the prostitution trade regulated and safe, the Los Angeles Times said Monday.

"Decriminalize prostitution and you bring it out of the underground and off the black market," the 22-year-old said. "That way you can start organizing, clean up the dangerous elements."

The proposal has also gained support from the Democratic County Central Committee and San Francisco health department official Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, who heads the department's sexually transmitted disease control and prevention section.

Meanwhile, the proposition placed on a Nov. 4 ballot is opposed by Mayor Gavin Newsom and District Attorney Kamala Harris, who say the trade should remain criminalized.

"Prostitution is not a victimless crime," Harris told the Times. "It's a crime that victimizes neighborhoods and plagues communities and compromises the quality of life of the people who live in those neighborhoods."