A brothel recently closed on the south end of Bainbridge Island
shortly after police began investigating a local prostitution
ring.
Operating out of a rental house until last month, the brothel
had three or more resident prostitutes who served clientele from
all over Kitsap County, including the island, Bainbridge police
confirmed on Monday.
“It had heavy traffic and a lot of activity at all times – day
and night,” Lt. Sue Shultz said.
Police learned of the brothel after receiving over a dozen
complaints from neighbors. In a few cases, would-be clients
accidently went to the wrong address or were spotted sneaking
around in backyards.
“Neighbors were getting odd knocks during the middle of the
night, with men asking for (prostitutes) by name,” Shultz said.
The February arrest of four prostitutes during a sting operation
at a Bainbridge hotel also produced information about the
brothel.
No one was arrested in connection with the brothel. Police had
been staking out the brothel in preparation for possible arrests
when it suddenly ceased operation and the tenants moved away.
Police believe the brothel’s occupants closed shop after learning
of the investigation.
“(Arrests) could have been our ultimate goal,” Shultz said. “But
our proactive policing resulted in them packing their bags and
moving. That may also serve the community as well.”
The prostitutes’ whereabouts are unknown, and police have ceased
their investigation.
Police said the prostitutes were advertising their services
through the Craigslist Web site. Two of the prostitutes were
recognized as having prostitution arrest records. None of the
prostitutes were from Bainbridge. At least one was from
Bremerton.
Police contacted a few of the suspected clients but did not make
arrests due to lack of evidence.
“We didn’t catch them in the act,” Shultz said.
Police would not disclose the exact location of the brothel as a
courtesy to the neighborhood. Shultz said the brothel, which is now
vacant, was in the southwest part of the island.
Noting the rarity of the case, Shultz said she cannot recall any
other brothels operating on Bainbridge.
Many south end residents were unaware of the brothel’s
existence.
“I’m amazed,” said Iver McDougal, president of the South
Bainbridge Neighborhood Association and 30-year island resident. “A
lot of people, I know, will be surprised and not very happy.”
Brothels don’t fit the image many have of Bainbridge, he said.
The island has relatively low crime and boasts a well-educated and
wealthy populace.
“We’re an upscale community and I think we have a sort of
upscale self-image,” he said.
Kevin Dwyer, executive director of the Bainbridge Island Chamber
of Commerce, said the brothel’s operators may have taken advantage
of the common belief that serious crime doesn’t occur on the
island.
“We’re perceived as a safe place and maybe people here are more
trusting,” he sadi.
The February prostitution arrests and the brothel operation may
hint that Bainbridge isn’t as isolated and quaint as some may have
thought, he added.
“It’s a little shocking that it’s happening here, but Bainbridge
Island is, unfortunately, changing and beginning to look like other
places,” he said. “We’re a part of the real world, not some emerald
isle where everything is beautiful and there’s no crime and
everybody is upstanding.”