PROVIDENCE – Mayor David N. Cicilline today submitted to the Providence City Council leadership an ordinance for introduction that would ban indoor prostitution in the City of Providence and impose the maximum penalty allowed by law.  

In a letter to City Council President Peter S. Mancini and the Chair of the Ordinance Committee, Michael A. Solomon, Mayor Cicilline said, “while the Rhode Island General Assembly continues to work to enact laws on the state level, we have the responsibility in the City of Providence to put an end to indoor prostitution that has sprouted up in our neighborhoods disguised as so-called spas.

The Mayor recognizes the work being done by the Representative Joanne Giannini and Senator Paul Jabour to address this issue.  However, he stated in his letter to the City Council “I believe it is important to adopt a City ordinance now to ensure, in the interim, that we do everything in our power to stop this destructive activity in our city.”

The amendment to Section 14-251 of the Code of Ordinance would criminalize indoor prostitution and impose the following penalties on profiteers and customers:

• Anyone who knowingly permits, offers or receives any person into any place for the purpose of committing any commercial sexual activity would be subject to a $500 fine and/or imprisonment of up to 30 days.
• Anyone determined to be a customer shall be found guilty of a violation and subject to a fine of $500 and/or imprisonment of up to 30 days.

According to the Law Department, these penalties are the maximum permitted by law.  The Mayor asked President Mancini and Councilman Solomon to introduce and co-sponsor the ordinance.

The Cicilline Administration has been working to ban indoor prostitution, on several fronts, since 2006, when the Mayor first proposed legislation to the General Assembly criminalizing prostitution and imposing harsh penalties on pimps, traffickers and customers.  He also testified in court against a business attempting to open a “spa” across the street from a school, public library and recreation center; the establishment was not allowed to open.

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