In a bid to help cut down on crime in Antwerp, the city government decided to establish a three-block "tolerance zone" in which prostitution would be legal -- and subject to tight regulations. The result:
Antwerp, a port city of 500,000, offers a case study in the benefits -- and limits -- of legalization. Local police say the tight controls in the tolerance zone have helped reduce prostitution-related crime -- including drug trafficking, assault, rape, murder and vandalism -- by 44% overall since 2001. Legalization also has brought in nearly $800,000 in tax revenue to the city.
Perhaps this also has some implications for the drug legalization debate.
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