Columbus Targeting 'Johns' To Fight Prostitution

Columbus Police say they’ve traditionally fought prostitution with undercover cops arresting prostitutes . But that’s changing. “We weren’t solving the problem as it was before," says Lt. Mark Lang. "We’d been doing the same thing for the past 80 years, but it really wasn’t making a difference.â€? So, Lt. Lang says, they’re increasing targeting "johns", or men who solicit prostitutes. In one month Lang says it’s proven so effective they’ll spend as much time targeting customers as they do prostitutes. Lang says johns can face jail time, but it’s much more effective to send them to the prosecutor’s “john schoolâ€? that teaches them about the social issues behind prostitution and its affect on women.