Flutterby™! : SFPD on sex workers reporting crime

SFGate: New SF policies bar arrest of sex workers who come forward to report violence

SFPD Department Bulletin A 17-249 12/19/17 Prioritizing Safety for Sex Workers (PDF):

In light of recent events in the San Francisco Bay Area and abroad, officers are reminded that, pursuant to DGO 2.01 and 3.01, any officer misconduct against sex workers, including retaliation, coercion or coercive intimate acts, is subject to disciplinary and/or. criminal action. Sex workers are vulnerable to violence and face barriers in reporting violent crimes to law enforcement in San Francisco. The criminalization of sex work is one of the primary barriers to reporting violence to law enforcement. Sex workers report fear of arrest as a barrier to reporting violent crimes.

This bulletin institutionalizes the Department's existing prioritization of violent crimes and aims to ensure equal access to safety for persons engaged in sex work and other forms of sex trade including trafficked persons. The Department seeks to promote the safety, dignity, and well-being of all San Franciscans, including sex workers; and to reduce violence, trafficking of persons, and abuse, including labor violations, within the sex industry. The Police Department and the District Attorney's Office have developed complementary policies for persons of any age engaged in sex work and other forms of sex trade who experience or witness violent crimes.

A step in the right direction