Portland police can no longer banish prostitute suspects from a special enforcement zone at southeast 82nd avenue.

So now what?

The authority to exclude hookers, johns and pimps from 82nd Avenue is gone because city leaders didn't like how it was targeting minorities.

Without that tool, police are under pressure to find different ways of curbing prostitution here.

“We can't arrest our way out of this problem,” said Sgt. Brian Schmautz.

“It's a big problem,” said Mayor-elect Sam Adams. “I think we've been slow to respond to it and we need to get on top of it.”

Adams and Commissioner Randy Leonard are researching whether drug treatment will help arrested prostitutes.

Police say that works downtown but not on 82nd where drugs aren't the motivation for women selling themselves.

“Actually the largest bulk of them do it because they want the money and they think it's an easy way to make money,” said Schmautz.

He says the current difficulty started when city council did away with their authority to banish certain convicts and suspects from 82nd.

Adams, meanwhile, is researching a permanent fix.

“It's got to be police, it's got to be the district attorney, it's got to be the judges. We've got to have room in the (jail or treatment) beds,” said Adams.

While police and politicians debate the next step, Adams is also trying to convince the Oregon Department of Transportation to install more street lights along 82nd Avenue.