Switching the spotlight on prostitution: police warn of kerb-crawling crackdown across Scotland

Men paying for sex on the streets are the target of police in Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen.

Officers are going out in plain clothes looking for those circling prostitution hotspots suspiciously, targeting vulnerable women.

They are also engaging with people involved in prostitution, to make sure they are safe and to signpost them to support from partner agencies.

Anyone kerb crawling will be arrested and charged for trying to purchase sex.

This new approach was piloted in Aberdeen, and is now in action in Glasgow and Dundee, specifically in areas where on street prostitution remains an issue.

There are plans for this approach to be adopted across the country.

Detective Superintendent Steven Bertram, lead on Prostitution, Police Scotland, said:

“Prostitution brings a significant threat of risk and harm to people and communities.

“People involved in prostitution, most of whom are women, are particularly vulnerable to violence.

“Drug or alcohol related issues, or poverty, can drive people into prostitution, particularly on street.

“Our approach, as demonstrated in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Dundee, focuses on safety and welfare, engaging with people and signposting them to support available from our partners, and hopefully reducing the risk of violence.

“This is about building trust and confidence in policing. It’s about safer communities and supported victims. And it’s about tackling violence against women and girls in all its forms.”

Communities Minister Siobhan Brown joined Police Scotland officers in Dundee last night to see the service’s national approach to prostitution in action:

"This is a Police Scotland Initiative to look at how we challenge and deter men's behaviour in prostitution and also how we can reach out to women that may want to leave prostitution and what support we can put in place."

"It has been in Aberdeen for quite a while and there is now a national roll out throughout other cities in Scotland."

"There's been a lot of success this year alone, 47 men have been charged this year and 39 women have been signposted for support."

"That's out of 102 patrols."

"We do need to challenge demand and deter it. It's not acceptable to sexually exploit people in 2025. It never has been."

To date three Operation Begonia patrols in Dundee have resulted in nine men being charged with soliciting.