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McMicken barricades part of larger plan to fight Cincinnati prostitution

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Ohio

CINCINNATI —It's no secret McMicken Avenue is known for sex trafficking and violence.

In January, a known 24-year-old prostitute was gunned down a few feet away from where barricades have been put up to interrupt johns, or customers, from going in and out of the neighborhood.

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City leaders said it's one of many efforts to battle the bigger problem.

“You can't escape. It's sort of like this thin film over everything,” Suzanne Fisher said about sex trafficking in her McMicken neighborhood. "Another prostitute was half nude and on drugs and screaming and smashed a glass door at a neighbor's front door, so we've had those things happen that are absolutely terrifying."

Ten feet from the McMicken barricade, police showed WLWT's Tammy Mutasa hypodermic needles, a spoon and a tie off, which they said is tied to prostitution and heroin.

"These barricades on McMicken are probably the most visible thing you've seen we've done, but we've been working on this for months,” Capt. Mike John with the Cincinnati Police Department District 1 said. “We've worked hard with our vice unit, we've had reverse stings to affect the johns that are frequenting this area … criminal sanctions.”

Cincinnati council member Yvette Simpson is introducing two motions fighting sex trafficking.

The plan tackles prostitution from all corners: police, courts, outreach workers and city leaders.

It includes publishing the names of convicted johns and bumping up their fines. It also outlines a “John School” program option as a condition of a suspended sentence.

"The community needs to know that these women are victims and how do we protect them while we are also correcting a neighborhood issue,” Simpson said. “We're telling johns, we're telling pimps, we're telling anyone who has profited from or has engaged in this activity, ‘your time is up.'"

The initiative calls for helping prostitutes get off the streets, get clean and get housing from outreach agencies such as the Cincinnati Union Bethel.

It helped at least 649 people from 2006-2013. It helps women get housing, get connected with substance abuse services, mental health services and medical care.

"It's a health issue. It impacts communities and it impacts women who've really been victimized,” Mary Carol Melton with Cincinnati Union Bethel said.

Many drivers had to find an alternate route as they arrived on McMicken to find the road blocked on Wednesday.

Neighbors said the barriers are an inconvenience now, but the whole plan is a way forward.

“It's going to have to move, you know, and that's going to make a huge difference, I really believe that,” Fisher said.

Police said they'll keep the road closed for a 90-day trial period, then re-evaluate.

Read more: http://www.wlwt.com/news/mcmicken-barric…