Prostitution bleeds into neighborhoods
A PASSIONATE Michael Bodie addresses the meeting.
Residents near Western Avenue are outraged by a recent uptick and blatant prostitution problem that plagues their neighborhood nightly. In response to community outrage, Council District 13 (CD13) arranged a meeting on Nov. 12 at their Hollywood field office.
The council district assembled representatives from the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office, Hollywood and Olympic Divisions of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and Journey Out, a local nonprofit that provides services to victims of sex trafficking.
Your voices are definitely heard. Substantial efforts are being made to control the situation,” said Deputy City Attorney Kahlil Rasheed.
But cleaning up the illegal sex trafficking on Western is a complicated issue.
According to Rasheed, “You can’t prosecute yourself out of the situation.” Senior Lead Officer Danny Chavez echoed this statement, saying “You can’t arrest yourself out of this situation.” So what is the solution?
One of the biggest stumbling blocks is the repealing of California penal code 653.22 in 2022 with State Bill 357, which made it illegal to arrest for “loitering in a public place with the intent to commit prostitution.” Officers have to catch individuals in the act. Not so easy. A small glimmer of hope begins January 2026 with the partial repeal of SB 357 for Johns, who will be able to be arrested for loitering with the intent to purchase sex.
Even though there are restrictions, police presence makes a difference. Capt. Rachel Rodriguez of Olympic Division said, “It’s unimaginable our children have to see condoms on the street and scantily clad women on their way to school and walking out of their homes.” Officer Chavez said that he’s adjusted his hours to deal with the situation. He’s also told his division that any extra patrols need to cruise through the Western corridor. Vice units go out weekly, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation also visits Western regularly.
Another reason for the meeting was that CD13, after over one year of negotiations, finalized a $150,000 contract with Journey Out. Journey Out gains the trust of the girls on the street and tries to convince them to leave the life of sex trafficking. They have wraparound services similar to a homeless agency. Since the beginning of their contract in October, three girls in the area have been rescued and sent home.
Other ways to combat the situation is by making the neighborhoods less appealing to park in. This includes cutting overgrown trees and fixing broken streetlights, making streets brighter in evening hours. Another method is to ticket illegally parked cars, since a majority of the areas are overnight permit parking only.
Residents also said it would at least make them feel better if someone other than themselves would clean up the area that’s littered with condoms, trash and bottles of urine. Field Deputy Mark Anthony Fuentes offered L.A. Sanitation’s Watershed Division to come and clean up, but residents have to contact Fuentes each time and it takes one to three days for them to arrive. Right now, Los Angeles
Conservation Corps comes to the area weekly, but they don’t pick up hazardous material. Residents also asked for more communication from CD13, which they agreed to work on.
Lastly, Rodriguez said the Olympic Booster Association (OBA) is spearheading an initiative to place live cameras with license plate reader capability throughout the major corridors of the Division. These cameras are in place along Melrose Avenue and have been very helpful for LAPD. If you would like to contribute or get additional information, contact OBA president Chang Lee at cytydel@gmail.com.
Category: News
