Scenes of women strutting around in thongs during the day, pimps stalking mothers bringing their kids to school, and prostitutes dancing in public have become the norm in California.
Leaders from the area claim that there is an abundance of human trafficking and prostitution in California since the implementation of a new criminal justice reform that its author said was intended to protect transgender women from being unfairly targeted by police.
San Francisco Supervisor Hillary Ronen communicated to the San Francisco Chronicle this week that the situation "Its absolutely out of control and dangerous not just for the sex workers but for the community."
The Mission District in San Francisco is now home to prostitutes and pimps that line the streets, which has forced city officials to put up barricades. Residents have voiced their concerns about feeling unsafe, especially in the evenings, as well as their worries for the women in the streets.
One San Francisco resident, while gesturing towards a bay window that overlooks the intersection, informed a San Francisco Chronicle reporter that they observed three individuals intimidating a female. "They'll be hitting her. I call the cops; no one comes. Theres nothing I can do."
This problem is not only seen in San Francisco, but also in other major cities such as Los Angeles and Oakland.
In Oakland, it has been reported that pimps have placed prostitutes next to a Catholic elementary school, causing parents to have to walk their children to school alongside people wearing scanty clothing or even no clothes.
Rosa Vargas informed ABC 7 that this is an everyday occurrence that happens at all times of the day. She told the news outlet that some of the pimps have even trailed her on a couple of occasions. Additionally, the residents and community heads reported seeing prostitutes who appeared to be juveniles.
Law enforcement and GOP politicians in the area have been pointing the finger for the open solicitation of prostitution on a statute that took effect on the first day of the year. Senate Bill 357 overturned a prior regulation that prohibited lingering with the purpose of prostitution.
James Gallagher, the GOP Assembly leader, declared in a statement that California Democrats' policy of decriminalizing certain offenses is resulting in more people falling victim to crime hourly.
Gallagher pointed out that since Democrats have been in power, people and businesses have been leaving the area, whereas human traffickers have been setting up shop. He noted that the law passed by these legislators would undeniably facilitate trafficking.
State Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat who introduced the initial bill, reasoned that it would provide shielding for transgender women, who he stated are often singled out by the police.
Wiener recently informed KGO-TV that the previous law gave officers the ability to make an arrest without any evidence of wrongdoing based on a person's physical appearance. He noted that this could include arrests for wearing clothing that is form-fitting, high heels, and applying extra lipstick.
This week, Wiener informed Fox News Digital that certain regions of California have had problems with prostitution and human trafficking for a long time. He branded the situation in Oakland as "unacceptable." Despite that, he maintained his support for reform.
According to Wiener, law enforcement has the power to take action against street solicitors and their enablers. "They can arrest people for soliciting, they can cite vehicles that are stopped in the middle of the street, they can arrest johns, they can arrest pimps." he informed the local press.
The Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST), a prominent and long-standing organization that offers assistance to survivors of sex and labor trafficking in the U.S., has expressed its endorsement of the bill and stated to Fox News Digital that they are in favor of overturning the past policy "because we know that reducing the criminalization of survivors will help prevent human trafficking."
Leigh LaChapelle, CAST's associate director of survivor advocacy, informed Fox News that "traffickers rely on our systems to criminalize victims so that they are unable to access safety due to their records and are vulnerable to continued exploitation."
LaChapelle emphasized the consequences of such interactions with law enforcement, as they can further amplify the existing stigma associated with being detained for this crime. This can impede an individual's ability to obtain employment or find a safe place to live, as having an arrest record related to the sex trade can prove an obstacle. Furthermore, the violation of this prejudiced legislation can result in deportation, loss of residency, or refusal of reentry to the country due to a misdemeanor conviction.
LaChapelle pointed out that the law has been in existence for only a brief period of time and remarked that those in power in the state "need to look at the larger, long-standing systemic issues that are contributing to any potential rise in trafficking in California, such as homelessness."
Fox News Digital spoke with sources from the Los Angeles police force, who voiced their opinion that the new law has tied their hands when it comes to addressing prostitution. The police stated that, due to the reform, they can only make arrests if they get a confession from the suspect, which is apparently not a common occurrence.
Login