The French police are cracking down on prostitution due to the presence of the Olympic Games in Paris this summer.
The opening ceremony takes place on Friday, kicking off weeks of sporting entertainment in the French capital.
But while the glitz and the glamor take center stage, the French police are moving to clean up the streets to ensure one of Europe’s most attractive cities keeps its stellar reputation throughout one of the biggest events in world sport.
As part of that, French police say they are cracking down on prostitution during the games. The Press Office for the Police Prefecture has told TMZ that authorities are doing what they can to prevent illegal sex work in the city.
It’s reported that road checkpoints are being put up to prevent – or at least reduce – pimping in the Bois de Vincennes, Bois de Boulogne and Belleville sectors over the coming weeks.
A dedicated brigade, named the BRP, has been formed, and it’s said that they will make their presence known across the city over the coming weeks. The brigade will be surveilling night establishments, such as cabarets, where there are anti-sex work rules in place.
Charities appeal to authorities to switch focus
Beyond the formal crackdown, France 24 report that charities have urged authorities to focus less on the sex work in the city and to target “criminal organizations which rob, rape and assault” such workers.
The charities have also claimed that there is no surge in people travelling to Paris to engage in sex work due to accommodation becoming far too expensive during the games.
France made the act of paying another person for sex illegal in 2016, but there have been regular protests against the law, with many believing the rules put sex workers at greater risk than if it was legal.