Police To Publicize Solicitors' Names After Tactical Shift In Prostitution Crackdown

SUN VALLEY (CBS) — A growing prostitution trade in the San Fernando Valley is changing tactical strategy for police, business owners and residents.

KNX 1070's Ed Mertz reports the LAPD has earned praise from the community for a recent effort to clear out prostitutes, pimps and johns along the "Lankershim Corridor".

Police netted 34 arrests along the two-mile stretch of Lankershim Boulevard between San Fernando Road and Saticoy Boulevard in Sun Valley during the crackdown last week.

Among those arrested was an employee with the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.

LAPD Capt. Joseph Hiltner, the commanding officer for the Foothill division, said the trade has existed along the corridor for a number of years.

But he said that may no longer be the case after police decided to "change up" tactics to include publicizing the names of those arrested for solicitation and conducting more stings similar to last week's effort.

Before the arrests, however, one local businesswoman said prostitution in the neighborhood had become even more brazen.

"They are on sidewalks, in the middle of the street," she said. "I actually saw a sexual act being done right in front of our back door where I couldn't get into our gate, I literally had to wait for them to be done."

Another woman whose family owns a business on San Fernando said her teenage son and his friends had been constantly harassed by prostitutes.

"They offered to do all the boys in his car for $80," she said. "They can be 7, 8, 9, 10 deep."