What the residents wanted

Many wanted a tolerance zone away from residential areas and businesses. There were mixed feelings about Residents Action and Patrol Groups as a way of preventing street prostitution. Some felt involvement in these activities would put their families at risk. The residents were unanimous in wanting all the agencies to join together to overcome the difficulties that you, the residents were suffering. You wanted to be involved with the Authorities in making decisions.

You suggested

Opportunities for better education, prevention and the reduction of risks for the women involved. A stronger focus on deterring men who pay for sex and on the pimps. A programme for young women to reduce the numbers going into prostitution More help for drug users.
Tolerance Zones or safety zones are streets away from residential areasand businesses where prostitution may take place. Other crimes, like violence or theft, are dealt with by the police in the usual way.

Why was the research requested?

Concern by local people lead to the Local Committee representatives asking The South Health Action Zone (HAZ) to fund a piece of research into prostitution in Caldmore, Pleck and Palfrey. £20,000 was provided initially and a further £4,000 for the Safety Soapbox project. Extra money was later supplied for personal alarms and subsistence.

Who did the research?

Dr Maggie O'Neill (Staffordshire University) and Rosie Campbell (Liverpool Hope University) were selected by a team including local inhabitants to carry out the research. 4 local people joined the researchers to help find interested people, to arrange appointments for the researchers and join in the focus groups.
Kate Green was the artist who assisted a range of residents, women as prostitutes and young people living in the area, to express their views visually through art forms.

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