ALL SEX CRIMES ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL

Imagine what could be done about violent crime if no consensual act
were criminal. If the police didn't waste time chasing down people
peddling marijuana to willing buyers, or prostitutes offering services
to equally willing customers, would they be able to do a better job of
stopping real, victimful crime? On Monday, Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman
seemed inadvertently to answer that question.

That was the day that Toronto police made an arrest in the case of the
"bedroom rapist," the stalker who has terrorized women in Toronto for
three months. Mr. Lastman said one factor that helped the police was
his decision, 10 days earlier, to move 200 officers from other duties
into the affected neighbourhood.

And what were those other duties? All 200 officers had been working on
an 11-week crackdown on prostitutes and drug pushers. Mr. Lastman
moved them to deal with the rapist after nine of the 11 weeks were up.
Now, what might have happened if, instead of sending these officers
after drug dealers and prostitutes, the city had sent them directly
into the hunt for the bedroom rapist? What would have happened, in
other words, if no consensual acts were criminal offenses, and the
police focussed their resources on violent crime?

By Mr. Lastman's own account, the police effort would have been
stronger, earlier. They might have made a faster arrest. They might
even have prevented attacks that, unlike pot smoking, filled potential
victims with fear.

Something to ponder when politicians trumpet the next drug or
prostitution crackdown.