Springfield Known as Willamette Valley's Red Light District

This, from a story today in the Register-Guard, is the conclusion the Springfield Police have reached after years of sting operations:

[Springfield Sgt.]Charboneau said it appears that downtown Springfield has a regional reputation as a place to pick up hookers. Frequently, those arrested in the undercover operations come from surrounding communities. In the latest case, the men came from Cottage Grove, Veneta and Pleasant Hill, as well as from Eugene and Springfield.

So we have people visiting Springfield for its sex industry. Well, duh! Have they counted how many strip joints and porn stores are located in Springfield? It’s like the Amsterdam of the Willamette Valley.

He said only about one-fourth to one-third of the people who approach the undercover officer actually make a deal and get arrested. In all, about 100 people made contact with the officer over the weekend.

I feel bad for the female officer assigned to look like a hooker. But I mostly feel bad she had to “make contact” with over 100 people, only 29 of which decided she would make an ideal sex partner.

"It is a shame that we have this many people coming down, looking for love in all the wrong places," Charboneau said. "We're going to continue doing these (stings) until our numbers are down."

I’ve toured Springfield after dark, looking for clean fun and entertainment, but didn’t find much (other than a happening bowling alley). With so many people coming into Springfield “looking for love,” maybe there should be some appropriate places to find it other than the countless strip joints and porn stores, which offer lust but no love. I’m sure instilling fear in the hooker-seeking populace may dampen the mood overall, but, like abstinence-only sex education, it’s impractical to think men and women will quell their desires by simply watching a DVD or topless dancer. I’m not encouraging the existence of a lawless prostitution industry; I’m only seeking alternatives to dolling up police officers to look like dirty sluts in order to scare people into sexless existences.

Readers? What do you think?