Prostitution didn't become known as the "oldest profession" for nothing.

Perhaps in Honolulu, it has successfully withstood the test of time, not solely because of an increased demand for services, but because of mixed messages from law enforcement and public ambivalence.

Those are the real enablers of prostitution in Honolulu.

It's part of the reason we're seeing more prostitutes on the streets these days, especially in the largely residential neighborhoods on the mauka side of the Chinatown business district.

Prostitution arrests there have spiked, as they have islandwide. Overall, Honolulu police report 401 prostitution arrests in 2005, up more than 50 percent from a year ago.

Chinatown residents want their area to be added to the three existing prostitution-free zones that include Waikiki, Ke'eaumoku Street, and part of downtown Honolulu.

These zones were created in 2000. Adding the burgeoning residential areas near Chinatown to the list would be a good first step.

But the zone approach won't be enough to make a difference. Pimps and prostitutes tend to just move their business out of the zones, as we've seen before.

If there's a real desire to crack down on prostitution then it's time to have serious discussions about strengthening our prostitution laws.

State law pegs prostitution a "petty misdemeanor." That makes it the most minor of minor offenses where penalties are too-often dismissed as "the cost of doing business."

Prostitution is far from a "victimless crime," and often is part of more serious criminal activities. We should consider tougher laws that go after both sides of the transaction, from the pimps and prostitutes, to the johns who patronize them.

The issues over prostitution surfacing again in Chinatown are a reminder that if we want to truly tackle the prostitution problem here, we simply cannot afford to be ambivalent about it.