KANSAS CITY, KAN -
Hiring a prostitute in Kansas could land you on the state's Sex Offender Registry, but some law enforcement officials across the state say that it may not be a very good idea.
The Kansas State House passed the measure, but it has yet to get through the state Senate, who on Monday sent the bill back to a conference committee.
The measure's sponsor, Rep. Mike Slattery, D-Mission, says that the bill would reduce the demand for prostitution in Kansas.
"The idea is to go after sex trafficking," said Slattery. "Your first VP or executive of a prominent company in the Kansas City area gets put on the offender list, word is going to travel pretty quickly."
Veronica's Voice, an organization that tries to rescue women from prostitution, support the bill.
"Is it fair though to have Johns register as sex offenders? I believe so," said Kristy Childs of Veronica's Voice. "I mean we have been for centuries now going after the women, who are the true victims of the circumstances."
But many in law enforcement across the state aren't thrilled about having to add more names to the state's already growing sex offender registry.
"Around the state, (we) are already saddled with a lot of things that are unfunded," said Darrell Wilson, executive director of the Kansas Sheriff's Association.
The responsibility for monitoring all of the convicted "Johns" would fall to county sheriff's departments. In Johnson and Wyandotte Counties alone there are already over 1,000 men to keep track of, and authorities fear that the bill could mean a law on the books that can't be enforced on the street.
"Well, it'll be nearly impossible for Johnson and Wyandotte County without extra personnel," said Wilson. "And of course I can't imagine that either of those counties are willing to, or have the funds to, hire additional personnel to handle it."
The Kansas State House passed the measure, but it has yet to get through the state Senate, who on Monday sent the bill back to a conference committee.
The measure's sponsor, Rep. Mike Slattery, D-Mission, says that the bill would reduce the demand for prostitution in Kansas.
"The idea is to go after sex trafficking," said Slattery. "Your first VP or executive of a prominent company in the Kansas City area gets put on the offender list, word is going to travel pretty quickly."
Veronica's Voice, an organization that tries to rescue women from prostitution, support the bill.
"Is it fair though to have Johns register as sex offenders? I believe so," said Kristy Childs of Veronica's Voice. "I mean we have been for centuries now going after the women, who are the true victims of the circumstances."
But many in law enforcement across the state aren't thrilled about having to add more names to the state's already growing sex offender registry.
"Around the state, (we) are already saddled with a lot of things that are unfunded," said Darrell Wilson, executive director of the Kansas Sheriff's Association.
The responsibility for monitoring all of the convicted "Johns" would fall to county sheriff's departments. In Johnson and Wyandotte Counties alone there are already over 1,000 men to keep track of, and authorities fear that the bill could mean a law on the books that can't be enforced on the street.
"Well, it'll be nearly impossible for Johnson and Wyandotte County without extra personnel," said Wilson. "And of course I can't imagine that either of those counties are willing to, or have the funds to, hire additional personnel to handle it."
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