By Dwayne Mcleod, Staff Reporter

A massive drug and prostitution network has mushroomed on Old Hope Road, St. Andrew, despite the activities occurring less than a stone's throw away from the Cross Roads Police Station.

In fact, the illicit activities have been increasing steadily "under the cops' noses" for years, but have reached a new level, becoming infested with drug-addicted prostitutes working for a drug-dealing pimp.

"A long, long, long time me deh yah, eno. A ya so mek me can mek ends meet and tek care a my business. Mi a talk bout years pon top a years, eight years now as a matter of fact," one of the prostitutes told THE STAR when we recently visited the location.

Similar was the claim of the resident dealer who explained that in addition to supplying the addicts along the strip, he was also responsible for their security.

"A whole heap a years now me deh yah so a juggle still. A me even tek care a dem, especially di girls dem cause man wi try fi come and rape dem off," the man who spoke on condition of anonymity said.

He also explained that he believes that there have definitely been an increase in prostitution in recent times.

"Like mi tell yu, a long time me deh yah, and girl a sell sex from dem time deh, but since late, more and more girl a come in, and more and more man a come buy too," he said.

During THE STAR's visit, we witnessed the prostitutes, along with their customers engaging in sexual activities, while the 'drug don' watched the smooth running of operations and made cocaine sales to multiple buyers.

The women and their male solicitors could be seen clearly in rather compromising positions. It was like one big orgy. Some solicitors, having paid for their desired ser-vices, carried out the activities there and then, some with the comfort of pieces of cardboard and old furniture, while others simply decided to stand.

When asked about his feelings towards the fact that the women were drug addicts, one male customer said that they were clean and sweet-smelling so their choice to abuse drugs had little effect on him.

"Mi hear seh dem a coke head yes, but dem eva clean and smell fresh, so me will tek a chance," he said.

Because they are known 'crack heads', the prostitutes offer 'cheap sex' in comparison to their peers in the nearby New Kingston area. This is also done in an attempt to lure potential customers.

While prostitutes in the New Kingston area offer their services for as little $1,500 and as much as $5,000 those in the Cross Roads area deliver their sexual pleasures for as little as $300 or as much as $1,000.

"Di man dem know seh we tek our likkle ting (drugs) suh wi cyaa really charge di amount a money weh di so call hot girl dem a charge. We and dem a sell di same thing but man will willing fi pay dem more money than weh dem waa pay we," one prostitute explained.

The resident drug dealer also said that prostitution is on the rise in the area due to the 'cheap sex' the women offer. He explained that he sees prostitution and drug dealing in the area going even further because of the lack of police presence.

"Yu si cause some a di man dem cyaa really afford di bag a money fi get a likkle fix up, believe it or not dem prefer fi come spend a small ting a get sort out," the man said. "It even look like seh me and di girl dem ago start mek more money to, because di police dem naw too pressure round ya so yet, mi glad fi that though."

The prostitutes also mentioned that the intervention of the police was a factor that they are the least worried about.

"Police nuh trouble we eno, wi nuh worry bout dem. Now and then yu might si a one car a patrol but dem nuh normally come when nuh action a gwaan,"a prostitute said. "Dem timing always wrong."

According to Crime chief for the St. Andrew South Division, Deputy Superintendent Mcarthur Sutherland, while he is aware of such activities, the area has not yet been identified as a troubled location, but the police will be investigating.

"Anywhere there's prostitution, there's normally drugs, we haven't identified the area as a crime hot spot yet but we could look at it from that perspective," he said.

The DSP explained that there was once a Vagrancy Act which dealt with prostitution and loitering. He said this act was, however, repealed and some of the clauses are now in the Town and Communities Act. He also added that unless an individual solicits a police officer or is observed partaking in prostitution, then very little can be done. "We can't just assume that because two people leave together in a car, they're engaging in prostitution," he said.