Dear Editor:
An open letter to Jersey City’s police chief:
I would like to bring to your kind attention the on-going ‘drugs and sex workers’ problem on the 500 block of Montgomery Street in Jersey City. There is a mosque with few mom & pop owned businesses in that block. It was very shocking to see these activities in that block particularly during the holy month of fasting and late night prayers where women and children come to the mosque!
I would appreciate if you could look into the issue with a ‘thinking outside the box’ approach rather ‘law and order’ approach. You can send your one time sweep forces and arrest the dealers and sex workers, but, we know that they will be back within next few months or a new supply of sex workers will be provided by broker dealers. A year ago, I guess, you did a sweep around Tonnele Ave area of heights segment, but, I am told that they are back again. I am sure that similar sweep operation was done in that block in the past. Most of them, as per the merchants are drug addicts or live in poverty; either way they need help!
I strongly recommend you to work with some ‘women in action’ members of Jersey City, mosques and churches to form a volunteer group so that these sex workers could get required help and not be exploited by the broker-dealers. In this day and age, no woman should be exploited for this trade and we as a humanity should help them to get the required skills for a better life style!
God Bless!
Riaz Wahid