DOVER, Del.- Some business owners and council members are calling for action regarding prostitution in the city.
City Councilman Brian Lewis remarked, "Dover has had a prostitution problem for years, but it appears to have gotten worse."
Lewis said he has received multiple complaints and worries the issue is deterring business downtown.
"A lot of my constituents don't want to come downtown anymore. They see multiple prostitutes on the street, and they are bold waving down cars," he said.
Lewis is urging the Dover Police Department to take action. "I call out to Chief Johnson to address this matter. He is the chief, and he needs to address it. They are committing crimes, and they should be arrested," Lewis added.
However, business owner Donnell Fears, from Donnell's Salon For Men & Women, offers a different perspective. "I don't see this as a police issue," he said. "It's a community problem related to mental health," Fears emphasized, advocating for increased support for individuals involved in prostitution.
"We have to figure out a solution with the city officials. We have to figure out what type of programs we offer other than fines, other than lock-up, other than probation. That doesn't solve the problem. Rehab solves the problem, treatment solves the problem," Fears emphasized.
When asked about plans to address these concerns, the Dover Police Department said in a statement, "We are working on strategies to address a variety of quality-of-life issues in the downtown area at this time."
Under Delaware law, prostitution is classified as a misdemeanor.