Local News in Brief : L.A. Council OKs $15,000 for Sepulveda Prostitution Sweep
The Los Angeles City Council on Friday unanimously approved a $15,000 expenditure to help operate a five-day task force against prostitution on Sepulveda Boulevard.
The special enforcement operation will run from Tuesday, May 27, through Saturday, May 31, said Sgt. Joseph Brazas, officer in charge of the Van Nuys Division vice unit. The task force will cover the boulevard between Hatteras and Lassen streets.
The money, which will pay overtime to a team of 22 police officers for 12-hour shifts, will come out of the budget of Councilman Ernani Bernardi rather than from general city funds. Bernardi introduced the motion to transfer the money to the Police Department, saying that prostitution on Sepulveda Boulevard is “causing considerable concern” in his district.
The department has conducted several two-day sweeps of Sepulveda Boulevard each year, Brazas said. After each sweep, prostitution is dramatically reduced for two to three weeks, he said.
“We thought if we ran this a week, maybe we could deter it for a month or longer,” he said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
