L.A. City Attorney sues pimps and prostitutes

All 36 prostitutes named in the injunction have been convicted at least twice for engaging in prostitution in the Figueroa Corridor, and account for 127 prostitution arrests in the Figueroa Corridor and more than 300 prostitution arrests throughout Southern California.

Four pimps named in the injunction are affiliated with gangs including the Shotgun Crips, Front Hood Crips and Denver Lane Bloods.

Pimps named in the injunction are excluded from the Figueroa Corridor and are prohibited from associating with or assisting prostitutes; using intimidation; interfering with traffic or possessing weapons. They must also report any vehicle and residential information to law enforcement. Prostitutes named in the injunction are also excluded from the Figueroa Corridor. Violations of the injunction could result in criminal prosecution.

We have included within this injunction an opt-out provision which provides those who can demonstrate they are no longer engaging in criminal activity - and have met certain court-ordered requirements -- with a way out.

The Prostitution Diversion Program

The City Attorney also today announced the launch of the Figueroa Corridor Prostitution Diversion Program. The program is designed to reduce the number of prostitutes and "Johns" along the Figueroa Corridor.

The Diversion program is open to first-time offender prostitutes and "Johns" who have no prior convictions for drugs or violence. Program participants must enroll in, and complete, an eight hour seminar and must submit to an AIDS test and follow-up support services. If the offender completes of the seminar and appropriate referral services, no charges will be filed.

The Figueroa Corridor suffers more from the harmful actions of pimps, prostitutes, and those seeking prostitutes than any other part of the City. The LAPD has devoted vast resources to attacking this problem, including conducting undercover operations, and providing dedicated patrols and foot patrols. Since 2002, more than 1,000 prostitutes have been arrested in the Figueroa Corridor and prosecuted by City Attorney Delgadillo's Neighborhood Prosecutors. The City Attorney targeted 20 nuisance properties for abatement because of vice and drug activity linked to prostitution, resulting in the reduction of prostitution-related crimes at these locations by 65%.

Deputy City Attorney Dan Whitley is the City prosecutor assigned to the litigation and Neighborhood Prosecutor Sonja Dawson created the prosecution diversion program in cooperation with LAPD and our service provider partners.

FIGUEROA CORRIDOR PIMP-PROSTITUTION INJUNCTION &

PROSTITUTION DIVERSION PROGRAM - FACT SHEET

1. What are we announcing?

We are seeking a nuisance abatement action - or injunction - that will prevent five pimps and 36 chronic prostitutes from operating in the Figueroa Corridor - the epicenter of prostitution in the City of Los Angeles.

These 41 defendants have for years thwarted normal law enforcement techniques aimed at stopping their criminal activity in the Figueroa Corridor, and have repeatedly returned to the Figueroa Corridor to engage in pimping or prostitution.

Most of these pimps are gang-affiliated, and we believe they use the money they make from this trade to finance other illegal and often violent criminal activities.

In addition, in recognition of the fact that we cannot just arrest and prosecute our way out of this problem, we are also unveiling a new prostitution diversion program (available for both prostitutes and "Johns" for first-time offenders).

If a prostitute or "John" completes this program, no criminal charges will be filed.

We believe this comprehensive approach is the right solution to this vexing problem, which for too long has plagued the underserved communities along the Figueroa Corridor.

2. What is our goal?

• Reduce the number of prostitutes and "Johns" along the Figueroa Corridor

• Encourage HIV testing through voluntary treatment programs

• Reduce the recidivism and spread of HIV/AIDS and STDs in the community. It will also provide valuable information to health officials and researchers concerned with HIV/AIDS and the surrounding community

• The retraining and re-education of prostitutes and "Johns" through education and treatment.

• Redirect the allocation of resources to law enforcement, the jails, and the courts, to higher level cases, such as pimping and pandering

3. How did our office determine which prostitutes/pimps would be named in the injunction?

The Defendant Prostitutes had to meet the following criteria:

• Multiple arrests for prostitution in the Figueroa Corridor

• Evidence that the Defendant Prostitute was experienced in avoiding normal law enforcement techniques aimed at halting prostitution in the Figueroa Corridor

• Evidence that the Defendant Prostitute was likely to remain at, or return to, the Figueroa Corridor without injunctive relief

• The Defendant Pimps are five pimps that LAPD identified as being actively involved in current prostitution activity in the Figueroa Corridor.

4. How does the injunction work...and is it different from a gang injunction?

This injunction is different from a gang injunction.

The injunction applies against individual defendants, not an organization like a criminal street gang.

Additionally, the injunction seeks to prohibit the defendants from entering the Figueroa Corridor. Gang injunctions generally do not prohibit entry into geographic areas. Further, pimps must report their vehicle and residence information to LAPD - which will allow LAPD to track the pimps throughout the City of Los Angeles.

However, the injunction does impose some provisions on Defendant Pimps that are similar to those in gang injunctions. For example, gang members under injunction are not allowed to associate with each other. In a similar fashion, pimps named in this injunction are not allowed to associate with any known prostitutes within the City limits.

5. What are the consequences of violating the terms of the injunction?

The violation of this injunction is a misdemeanor offense.

The terms of the injunction are much easier for LAPD officers to enforce than current law enforcement remedies, and in particular, we anticipate that it will make it easier to prosecute pimps.

6. Will this be effective in reducing prostitution activity in the area?

Yes.

The defendants have accounted for a large amount of the prostitution in the Figueroa Corridor - 20% of the arrests over the past two years.

With them gone, we expect to see a significant reduction in the criminal activity.

Word of mouth will notify other prostitutes and pimps that operating in the Figueroa Corridor could lead to similar action against them.

This deterrent effect will further diminish prostitution activity.

7. Why was this area selected for the injunction? Will there be other injunctions?

The Figueroa Corridor currently generates the most street-level prostitution in the City of Los Angeles, and suffers from the worst secondary effects of this prostitution, such as crime, blight, and diminished quality of life. The Figueroa Corridor also contains at laest four public schools, three private schools, and four day care centers.

Additionally, it is one of the most dangerous places for prostitutes to operate, with large numbers of assaults, robberies, and even the rape and murder of prostitutes. Therefore, it was chosen as the first area for injunctive relief against pimps and prostitutes.

We anticipate other injunctions against defendants in the Figueroa Corridor, and at other areas with similar levels of prostitution and related problems.

8. How does the Diversion Program Work? Who is eligible?

• Eligibility: The eligibility for both prostitutes and "Johns" is the same:

(1) First time offenders

(2) No criminal history of violence,

(3) No convictions for drug use,

(4) Second offenders after five years (discretionary).

If the offender successfully completes the 8 hour seminar and appropriate referral services, no charges relating to the underlying conduct will be filed.

9. Have you used this type of program before in other areas? Was it successful?

Presently, there are 40 "John School" type programs operating nationwide and nearly 50 additional communities have considered or are planning to implement these programs.

Several of the existing programs boast more than 10 years' experience.

The longest running "John School" in the country is the "First Offender Prostitution Program" (FOPP) program in San Francisco, upon which portions of our program are based.

On March 7, 2008, the Office of Research and Evaluation National Institute of Justice released the results of a 2.5 year study of the FOPP.

The NIJ study determined that the FOPP reduced re-offending among men arrested for soliciting prostitutes by about 35%.

The reduction in recidivism is attributed to a deterrence effect, and not to displacement to other communities or indoors.

The FOPP is financially self-sufficient: That john school has operated since 1995 at no cost to taxpayers, and has generated nearly $1 million for recovery programs for women and girls involved in commercial sex.

10. How do the prostitutes and pimps go about getting out from under the injunction?

Prostitutes:

• The Defendant Prostitute submits to the City Attorney a declaration signed under penalty of perjury stating that she:

1. Has not been convicted of any serious criminal violation, including prostitution, during the two years before she signed the declaration;

2. Is employed in a legal business and/or enrolled in a school program;

3. Has not used any narcotics during the two years before she signed the declaration;

4. Has not engaged in prostitution during the two years before she signed the declaration.

• The Defendant Prostitute cooperates with the City Attorney to allow the City Attorney to confirm the statements in the Declaration set forth in Part 1.

• The Defendant Prostitute submits to the City Attorney proof of successful completion of any Prostitution Diversion or Rehabilitation Program approved by the City Attorney.

• The Defendant Prostitute submits to the City Attorney the results of a drug test taken within 30 days of the signing of the Declaration showing that no indications of narcotics were found in the Defendant Prostitute's system.

Pimps:

• The Defendant Pimp submits to the City Attorney a Declaration, signed under penalty of perjury, stating that he:

5. Has not been arrested or charged with the violation of any criminal law during the two years before he signed the declaration;

6. Has been gainfully employed in a legal business and filed state and federal income tax returns during the two years before he signed the declaration;

7. Has not used any narcotics during the two years before he signed the declaration;

• The Defendant Pimp cooperates with the City Attorney to allow the City Attorney to confirm the statements in the Declaration set forth in Part G.1, above.

• The Defendant Pimp submit to the City Attorney the results of two drug tests, one taken within 30 days of the signing of the Declaration and one taken six months prior to the signing of the Declaration, showing that no indications of narcotics were found in the Defendant Pimp's system.

14. What's next?

The complaint was filed on May 9, 2008.

We will now be serving the defendants with the complaint and seeking to impose an injunction against the defendants as quickly as possible.

We anticipate that the injunction will be enforceable by early August, depending on the results of litigation in the Los Angeles Superior Court.