Andrea works the corner of Broadway and Verona in Newark, not far from the Belleville border. She walks the block, crossing the street, trying to catch the eye of lone men in passing cars. On one corner is a pina colada stand, where parents bring their children on summer nights. Andrea is part of their urban landscape. Andrea is She's been a heroin addict since she was 18, just a kid growing up in Union, and "on and off" the streets of Newark ever since.
The ravages of drugs are apparent. She is frail and undernourished; her skin is dry and scabbed. She is missing teeth. After a minute conversation, she begins to nod off, finding the sweet spot in her heroin high. The trauma of street life is also apparent. Her left eye is swollen because she was punched and robbed by another woman on Grafton Avenue, where she meets her drug dealer. There are small scars on her face and wrists from other attacks.
Her internal wounds are transparent through her melancholy eyes. She hasn't seen her mother or daughter in a year, stopped by a restraining order because of her drug use. She's been mugged, beaten and sexually assaulted. It's part of her life. Earlier this week, she said was forced to perform a sex act at knifepoint. He said, 'Okay, then, bitch, you're going to do it for free' and he stuck something sharp in my back," said Andrea, who asked that her last name not be used. It's rough. Frankly, I'm surprised I'm still alive.
Last weekend, Newark police arrested 13 streetwalkers and their clients, bringing the total to 66 for the year. It's part of Mayor Ras Baraka's "quality of life" initiative to clean up the city streets and reduce the chaos. It's not just about image; it's about safety for its law-abiding residents and, in this case, the prostitutes, too.
They get robbed. They get murdered. They get pimped out. They have drug dealers ripping them off. Anybody who thinks they're out there by choice is out of their minds. Ambrose was referring to last week's statement by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey that criticized the Newark police over the prostitution crackdown.
