SEX-FOR-MARIJUANA STING IN TIGARD GOES TO POT

TIGARD -- A sex-for-marijuana Internet sting by the Tigard Police
Department is over because the Washington County district attorney's
office stopped prosecuting the prostitution arrests.

In late 2008 or early 2009, Tigard officers began posting online
advertisements on Craigslist, posing as women willing to have sex in
exchange for pot. Police Chief William Dickinson, said Wednesday that
police arrested about 40 people during the sting but stopped in June
because a top prosecutor declined to pursue several cases and told
them to change their tactics.

"When the DA's office tells us, 'You're not making that clear enough
that this is a prostitute,' then we're going to change the way we do
business," said Dickinson, who coincidentally announced his
retirement Wednesday. "The law says, 'sex for a fee.' That's what
they want, and they will prosecute those cases for us."

Dickinson said prosecutors dropped charges in about a half-dozen
cases, but he could not provide immediate numbers to verify his
estimate. Rob Bletko, a chief deputy district attorney, said "a
number of cases" were not prosecuted but he also could not be exact.

"I know Tigard has changed their approach in how they investigate
these cases," he said, "and hopefully we're not going to see these
problematic cases anymore."

Over recent months, three police officers posing as women posted
graphic advertisements in the casual encounters section of
Craigslist, a popular Internet classified service. Dickinson said the
ads asked for drugs instead of money, because they found during other
stings, drugs are typically tied to prostitution.

But one defense attorney on Wednesday called the police tactics
entrapment -- something Dickinson and Bletko denied.

"I believe this whole program is a way to entrap people," said Gabe
Bickle-Eldridge, a public defender representing clients in seven of the cases.

Bickle-Eldridge said officers represented themselves using photos
taken from the Internet. The photos show young women who don't look
like prostitutes, he said, referring to a photo in Wednesday's
Willamette Week newspaper, which first reported the story.

He said officers also exchanged graphic e-mails or text messages with
men, stating that the women they impersonated had not recently had sex.

"Does that suggest someone who is a prostitute?" said
Bickle-Eldridge, who said prosecutors dismissed cases against two of
his clients.

The public defender said three of his clients pleaded guilty to
lesser charges. He said he plans to pursue entrapment defenses in the
other two cases.

Tigard Mayor Craig Dirksen defended the sting and said it is no
different from undercover police officers who are solicited for sex
during street-corner operations.

"Obviously, you have people going onto Craigslist or wherever looking
for this," he said.

Dickinson announced publicly Wednesday that he would retire as police
chief in November. He said he told City Manager Craig Prosser about
his plans about a month ago.

Prosser and the mayor both said Dickinson has done an amazing job in
his six years in Tigard. Prosser pointed to the sting as an example.

"I'm glad that they're out there doing that, quite frankly. It's part
of protecting the city," he said. "Can we do it a little bit better?
Fine, yeah, we can. And we will."