NCJ Number
128674
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology Volume: 33 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1991) Pages: 1-21
Date Published
1991
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This study examines police response to the problem of impersonal homosexual sex in public washrooms -- called "tearooms" in homosexual argot -- using data obtained from police case materials and interviews with detectives in five Canadian urban areas.
Abstract
Based on direct observations of sexual behavior in seven public toilets, police arrested 190 men, charging them with committing an indecent act or gross indecency. In all five communities, the police responded to complaints about "tearoom" activity by invoking a crime-control model of law enforcement. Only one suspect avoided identification and arrest; only two suspects were acquitted; the majority pleaded guilty; and all defense challenges to the legality of police actions were defeated. The crime-control model has not been fully successful, however, since it has failed to achieve general deterrence. Routine observations in several communities indicate that sexual activity has increased to its former level. A more moderate response to nonserious offenses could be used without exposing the community to unacceptable risk. This could include the use of warning signs in problem areas, cautions to first offenders, the transfer of responsibility to proprietors and private security, and the redesign of washrooms and their relocation to less remote areas. 2 tables and 22 references