Oakland’s City Council voted Tuesday to begin a pilot program to disrupt sex work in a section of East Oakland known as “The Blade.”
In a 6-1-1 vote, with Councilmember Kevin Jenkins abstaining and Councilmember Janani Ramachandran absent for the vote, the pilot program proposed by Councilmember Charlene Wang will install barricades to temporarily close through traffic on Ninth, 10th and 11th avenues between International Boulevard and 15th Street for six months in an effort to curb sex trafficking on these side streets and funnel it onto International Boulevard. The idea of moving illegal activity to a busier corridor may seem counterintuitive, but to Wang, it would still be a step in the right direction.
“This is part of a larger multi-pronged strategy,” Wang said at the meeting. “The first prong being enforcement against the traffickers, the Johns … and this is part of that, which is crime prevention through environmental design.” Wang argued that side streets create concealed areas that makes it more challenging for police officers to see transactions occurring. By funneling them onto International Boulevard, Wang’s hope is that officers will be able to increase arrests and provide deterrence for any activity to occur in the first place.
Oakland has had some history with road closures to prevent sex work on certain intersections. Barricades were installed on intersecting side streets off another main drag, East 15th Street, in 2023. While it did reduce cited actions at those intersections, Oakland Police Department crime data suggests activity simply moved down to its present location. “I don’t want to promise the moon,” Wang said. “I don’t think this is going to end human trafficking, but I think it is worth trying.” While most of the City Council applauded Wang’s efforts, some were concerned about how this may only move the problem, affecting local businesses and residents in the process.
Just legalize it. Turn the Oakland arena into a huge brothel.
The tax revenue would be massive.
I agree, why should the hookers, and pimps not pay state and federal
income tax? They make a lot of money, especially the pimps. Prostitution
has been around since ancient times, the Romans and Greeks even
taxed it, and regulated the brothels. Prostitution is not going to magically
disappear from society any time soon, and since most prostitution related
crimes are misdemeanors, they are released from custody in a matter of
hours. Enforcing prostitution laws is costly, and time-consuming for the
police officer who has to make the arrest, transport them to jail, and fill
out a report while he or she should be out concentrating on more serious
crimes. It also overburdens our already backed up court system.
OK but if I take a job as a short arm inspector I’m not paying taxes on it…. it’s more like a pubic service.
“public” a public service! Geez
Well, that was, a microscopic joke . . . .
Not as bad as a Councilmember named “Wang” being the mental midget behind this hooker roundup.
Did he get Senator Weiner’s input?
You don’t need to get all snippy with me just because you don’t agree with my comment. But I agree with you that crime should not be tolerated, I never said it should. I simply said I agree that prostitution should be legal. If it was legal then it wouldn’t be a crime, and we wouldn’t have to tolerate it as a crime. But don’t worry, I do not believe we will be seeing the legalization of prostitution in the near future. By the way, bridge tolls are used for specific infrastructure like highway and bridge maintenance, and miscellaneous traffic control projects. The funds are not to be used by the justice department.
Dawg
You have a valid point. Lyon County, NV home of the Bunny Ranch, Moonlite Ranch, Kit Kat Ranch etc funds more from brothel taxes than property taxes. Every few year some ultra churchy bunch of people get an initiative placed on the ballot to make prostitution illegal. The initiative goes down in flames every time.
Oaktown is in Alameda county – not that it makes a difference
What part of Oakland do you think is in Contra Costa County? In any case the purpose of this move is to make it easier for the police to arrest the participants in this illegal activity.
I get the idea, and kudos to Wang for at least not sitting back and trying to help with the situation. The big flaw in this plan? Expecting enforcement. Or if you manage to get enforcement, consequences from the DA. If DA Jones is anything like becton, Wang and that city council are doing nothing more than peeing in the wind.
Man they don’t care about us the consumers why would i wanna be seen on international
the side streets were more discreet