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We understand the concerns of Chief DiPino and the SPD regarding prostitution. It is indeed not a victimless crime. And those women who find themselves in the unfortu- nate position of trading sex for money should be helped, not thrown in prison. Those solicit- ing such acts are the real offenders, and they should face tough penalties. But you cannot do either by engaging in willy-nilly end runs around civil liberties. Even prostitutes and their johns have rights. Law enforcement is a tough job because you have to catch the criminals without infringing on the rights of the innocent. We thought all of our local law enforcement agencies were aware of this, but perhaps we were wrong in that assumption. Worse, such tactics often have the opposite effect. Public support wanes when the peo- ple doubt the virtue and sincerity of their law enforcement officials. Evading due process and engaging in questionable practices can even provide criminals with the legal justifi- cation to avoid conviction. And the original problem continues unabated. DiPino has a noble intention in trying to eradi- cate prostitution, but she cannot accomplish it by trampling on the people's civil liberties. % Search for text in stories by clicking the icon in the menubar and entering a search term. Search the current edition or all editions. QUICK TIP Search Only The Issue You Are Viewing Search All Issues Your search term here Don't have your own subscription to The Sarasota News Leader? Subscribe for FREE and receive a weekly notification when the latest issue is available online. FREE SUBSCRIPTION OPINION Sarasota News Leader March 14, 2014 Page 89