Action Against Vice Activities

Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the recent anti-vice raids have reaped results in deterring vice syndicates, operators and prostitutes from operating in residential and heartland areas; and (b) since 1 January 2012, what is the number of prostitution-related offences that have been detected and whether this number is lower than that of the previous year.

Mdm Speaker, for the six-month period January to June 2012, Police continued to take firm measures against prostitution related activities, conducted more anti-vice operations than in the same period in 2011. During these operations, Police made 2,159 arrests of females for prostitution related activities. This is 7% lower than the 2,321 arrests made in the same period in 2011.

In addition, Police made 115 arrests of persons for abetting in prostitution related activities in the six-month period January to June 2012. This is roughly double the number of arrests in the same period in 2011.

Five, or 0.23%, of the arrests of females for prostitution related activities in the first half of this year were made in the heartlands. This shows that prostitution related activity is not prevalent in the heartlands.

Police will continue to act against streetwalkers and prostitution syndicates to keep the situation under control, and away from the heartlands.