June 19, 1997

COPS PUT A LID ON TOPLESS HOOKER

By BEN RAYNER
Ottawa Sun A Vanier prostitute who went topless in public has been charged with committing an indecent act.
Regional police charged Joanne Gowan, 31, Tuesday in connection with a June 3 incident in which a woman caused traffic snarl-ups along Montreal Rd. for several hours by flashing her breasts and yelling at passing motorists.
At the time, police were called to the scene to investigate a complaint that a woman was baring her breasts "for a sexual purpose," but the suspect hid when they arrived and couldn't be found, said Const. Michel Hebert.
"We had to locate her to be able to charge her," he said.
She eluded police for two weeks, until off-duty Const. Alain Cammaert caught a glimpse of her walking down Olmstead Ave., near Montreal Rd., on Tuesday.
"The investigator just happened to be on Montreal Rd. for his own business -- he was shopping -- so he called police and we scooped her," said Hebert.
Gowan told the Sun earlier this month she was the first -- although not the only -- Vanier prostitute to doff her top in public.
She was inspired, she said, by the Ontario Court of Appeal's decision last year making it legal for women to go topless in public.
Still, the court made it clear women doffing their tops for "sexual, commercial, harmful or degrading" purposes could be charged.
Police stressed yesterday they were not cracking down on the public toplessness that's been making occasional forays onto city streets this summer.
"She's not charged with going topless," said Hebert. "She's charged with committing an indecent act. You're allowed to be topless, but being indecent is not."
Gowan made an appearance in court yesterday and a further court date will likely be set this morning.
Meanwhile, Municipal Affairs Minister Al Leach said yesterday that cities should impose dress codes if residents don't want topless women on street corners.
"I think municipalities should have the ability to establish codes of conduct or morality," he said. "I think municipalities probably have the power to do that now by bylaw."
- With files from Jeff Harder