What Are the Concerns About Sex Work in Back Mountain?
Residents occasionally express concerns about potential prostitution activity in the Back Mountain area (Dallas, Shavertown, Harveys Lake, Lehman Township), primarily related to community safety, exploitation risks, and impacts on neighborhood character. These concerns often stem from online solicitations, suspicious activity reports, or worries about human trafficking, though verified, large-scale commercial sex operations are not a dominant feature of this largely residential region.
Pennsylvania law strictly prohibits prostitution and related activities like solicitation and promoting prostitution. Back Mountain, encompassing communities within Luzerne County, falls under these state laws. While isolated incidents can occur anywhere, law enforcement focuses on addressing specific complaints and investigating potential trafficking or exploitation rather than widespread visible street prostitution. Concerns often reflect broader anxieties about community change or specific, localized incidents amplified by online platforms and social media discussions.
Is Prostitution Legal in Back Mountain, PA?
No, prostitution is illegal throughout Pennsylvania, including all areas of the Back Mountain. The state criminalizes selling sex (prostitution), buying sex (solicitation), and operating a business for prostitution (promoting prostitution). Penalties range from misdemeanors to felonies, depending on the specific offense and circumstances.
There is a common misconception that certain counties or municipalities might have different rules, but state law supersedes local ordinances. Pennsylvania does not have any legal “red-light” districts or licensed brothels like those found in some Nevada counties. Law enforcement agencies in Luzerne County, including local police departments covering the Back Mountain area and the Pennsylvania State Police, actively investigate and prosecute violations of these laws based on complaints and evidence. Enforcement prioritizes combating exploitation, trafficking rings, and addressing nuisance complaints from residents.
What Should I Do If I Suspect Illegal Sex Work Activity?
Report specific, observable concerns to the appropriate local law enforcement agency. Avoid confrontation. If you observe behavior suggesting solicitation, trafficking (signs like someone appearing controlled, fearful, lacking personal documents, or showing signs of abuse), or a potential brothel operation, note details like location, time, descriptions of people/vehicles (without putting yourself at risk), and report it.
Contact Local Police: For immediate threats or ongoing suspicious activity in a specific municipality (e.g., Dallas Borough, Kingston Township), call the local police non-emergency line or 911 if it’s an emergency. Pennsylvania State Police (PSP): PSP Gibson Station covers parts of the Back Mountain region. They can be contacted for reports. National Human Trafficking Hotline: For suspected human trafficking, call 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP to 233733 (BEFREE). This hotline connects to specialized resources and law enforcement trained in trafficking investigations. Provide facts, not assumptions, to ensure resources are used effectively.
Where Can Individuals Involved in Sex Work Find Help in Luzerne County?
Individuals seeking to exit prostitution or who are victims of trafficking have access to support services focused on safety, health, and rebuilding. Key resources include:
- Domestic Violence Service Center (DVSC): Based in Wilkes-Barre, DVSC offers crisis intervention, safe shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, and support groups. They assist individuals experiencing exploitation or violence linked to prostitution. (570-823-7314 or 1-800-424-5600)
- Victims Resource Center (VRC): Serving Luzerne County, VRC provides free, confidential crisis response, counseling, therapy, and advocacy for victims of sexual violence and other crimes, which can include those exploited through prostitution. (570-823-0766 or 1-877-822-0837)
- Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services: Organizations like the Wright Center or Geisinger offer counseling and treatment, crucial for many facing co-occurring challenges. Access via insurance or sliding scale.
- CareerLink: Provides job training, resume help, and employment placement assistance, essential for economic independence.
These organizations employ trained professionals who understand the complex trauma and barriers faced by individuals in the sex trade, offering non-judgmental pathways to safety and stability.
How Does Sex Work Impact Community Safety in Suburban Areas?
The impact of prostitution on suburban communities like the Back Mountain is complex and often debated. Potential concerns include increased transient activity in residential neighborhoods, risks associated with buyers/sellers unfamiliar to the area, potential for associated crimes like theft or drug activity, and community perceptions of disorder affecting property values. Online solicitation has largely moved the initial contact phase off the streets, but meet-ups still occur in public or private locations within communities.
Conversely, isolated incidents involving prostitution rarely define overall community safety. Factors like property crime rates, substance abuse issues, and traffic safety often have a more tangible daily impact. Law enforcement strategies focus on targeted interventions based on complaints and evidence rather than broad crackdowns absent specific problems. Community safety is best promoted through neighborhood watch programs, good lighting, reporting suspicious activity promptly and accurately, and supporting social services that address underlying issues like addiction and poverty that can intersect with the sex trade.
What Role Does Human Trafficking Play in Local Sex Work Concerns?
Human trafficking, particularly sex trafficking, is a serious crime that can intersect with prostitution markets anywhere, including suburban and rural areas like the Back Mountain. Traffickers exploit victims through force, fraud, or coercion for commercial sex. Victims are often hidden in plain sight – in homes, hotels, or advertised online – making detection difficult.
While not every individual in prostitution is trafficked, trafficking represents the most severe form of exploitation within the illegal sex trade. Pennsylvania consistently ranks in the top states for reported human trafficking cases, driven by its transportation corridors and population centers. Northeastern PA, including Luzerne County, is not immune. Signs of potential trafficking include someone who:
- Appears controlled, fearful, or anxious, avoids eye contact.
- Lacks control over identification documents or money.
- Shows signs of physical abuse or malnourishment.
- Has inconsistent stories or seems coached in responses.
- Is under 18 and involved in commercial sex (automatically considered trafficking).
Reporting suspected trafficking to the National Hotline (1-888-373-7888) or law enforcement is critical. Combating trafficking requires a community-wide effort focused on victim identification, support services, and prosecution of traffickers.
What Resources Exist for Community Education on Exploitation?
Several organizations provide education to help communities recognize and respond to exploitation and trafficking:
- Luzerne County Human Trafficking Task Force: A coalition of law enforcement, service providers, and community members working to combat trafficking through training, outreach, and coordination. They offer presentations to community groups.
- Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) & National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC): Based in Enola, PA, they offer resources, training curricula, and technical assistance on sexual violence prevention, which includes addressing exploitation and trafficking.
- Vera House (Syracuse, but serves broader region): Offers comprehensive training programs on human trafficking identification and response for professionals and communities.
- Local Colleges & Universities: Institutions like Wilkes University or King’s College often host seminars or trainings on social justice issues, including human trafficking awareness.
Educating youth about healthy relationships, online safety, and recognizing grooming tactics is a crucial preventative measure. Community awareness helps reduce stigma for victims seeking help and empowers residents to report concerns effectively.
How Can Residents Promote Safety Without Stigmatization?
Promoting community safety in relation to concerns about prostitution and trafficking requires a balanced approach focused on facts, compassion, and effective action:
- Focus on Behavior, Not Profiling: Report specific suspicious activities (e.g., excessive short-term traffic at a residence, observed exchanges suggesting solicitation, signs of distress) rather than targeting individuals based on appearance or assumptions.
- Support Victim Services: Advocate for and support local organizations like the Domestic Violence Service Center and Victims Resource Center that provide essential help to survivors of exploitation and trafficking.
- Educate Yourself & Others: Learn the signs of trafficking and how to report them. Share credible information from sources like the National Human Trafficking Hotline to dispel myths.
- Address Root Causes: Support initiatives addressing poverty, lack of affordable housing, substance use disorder treatment, and mental health services – factors that can increase vulnerability to exploitation.
- Engage Constructively with Law Enforcement: Build relationships with community policing officers. Report concerns with factual details, understanding that investigations require evidence and resources.
- Challenge Stigma: Recognize that individuals in prostitution may be victims of circumstance, trafficking, or addiction. Avoid language that dehumanizes them. Solutions should focus on harm reduction and exit pathways.
A safe community is built on vigilance rooted in accurate information, empathy, and support for effective social services and law enforcement, not fear or prejudice.
