BATTLE AGAINST HOOKERS BEGINS

West End Residents To Join Street Patrol

FRUSTRATED west end residents packed a community centre last night, vowing
to battle the prostitutes and johns who have moved into their
neighbourhood. Anger and fear combined to create a volatile mix, sometimes
igniting the crowd of children, young mothers, the middle-aged and seniors.

It was standing room only at the Burnell Street centre as neighbours
quickly grabbed the 100 folding chairs. The back of the hall filled and
then the aisles. They came, they said, to snatch back their streets.

In the end, scores of people lined up for the chance to form a street
patrol that would roust johns, drug dealers and prostitutes.

Sgt. Brian Cyncora of the Winnipeg police community support unit addressed
the crowd, serving as a lightning rod for their anger.

"The root cause of this is really the drug problem," said Cyncora, who
sympathized with the frustration of the residents. "It's a social problem."

Nine johns were arrested last week, Cyncora said, and their vehicles seized.

But the crowd, many of whom wanted stricter laws, a red light district and
no significant penalties for johns, wanted to share their anger.

"They stand right on the corner by my day care," shouted Lipton Street
resident Heather Wedel. "They go by and they throw their condoms on the
street. I don't want these filthy people coming here, these degenerates."

Meeting organizer Lanny Gellner, who has lived in the west end since
Christmas, said he feared for his own children.

"I don't want my boys growing up with these negative influences in their
faces," he said. "We own this property whether they like it or not. This is
our kids' home. They should just leave. We don't want to hurt anyone."

The west end is filled with modest homes carefully tended by their owners.
Small stores line the streets, side by side with hair salons and tax
preparation offices. Tiny restaurants, the sort that take up 800 square
feet and all of a family's efforts, dot the main roads. These are the
people who came out last night, confused and frustrated that their
neighbourhood has become unsafe.

"These are small businesses," said Joanne Moffat, "and when you see two or
three hookers standing outside who wants to go in? People are afraid their
property will be useless."

Luise Nemeth, a 30-year west end resident, said her neighbourhood has
become "disgusting." She complained of finding used condoms behind her garage.

Kim Brennan blamed the johns.

"As much as we don't like the prostitutes we can't just blame them," said
Brennan. "They're not the ones approaching my 17-year-old and saying 'Hey
bitch, what about a BJ?'

"We're talking about women raped, we're talking about victims. No normal
woman says, 'I want to walk the streets. I'll do this instead of going to
university.' "

Gellner, who spoke with the fervour of a country preacher, said the street
patrol was the best peaceful solution to the problem.

"If we work together, we can do this," he said. "There are lots of people
in this area who are unemployed. They can all help."

Gellner encouraged residents to write down licence plate numbers of
suspected johns and give them to west end minister Harry Lehotsky. Lehotsky
posts the numbers on his Web site along with descriptions of cars and
activities.

Coun. Harvey Smith said last night he understands the frustration of people
in his constituency.

"I think it's unavoidable to be riled. If you just accept it, I think it
stays. I think the only danger is that people will over-react."

The meeting ended peacefully in a flurry of borrowed pens, as people
jostled for the chance to fill out a street patrol application. Gellner
will host another meeting at the community centre in two weeks.