VAN NUYS : Motel Owners Urged to Hire Security Patrol

After months of appearing on opposite sides in the battle over prostitution in Van Nuys, motel owners along Sepulveda Boulevard have met with police and City Council representatives to bridge their differences.

“I don’t like prostitutes sitting on the corner in front of my motel,” Bhavana Bhakta, on-site manager of the Cabana Motel, said Wednesday night at the meeting of the Sepulveda Boulevard Business Watch. “This is my home, too.”

The dozen motel managers and owners who attended the meeting were concerned about recent city efforts to crack down on prostitution, which police say occurs in and around several motels. Within the past six months, the Los Angeles zoning department has ordered six motels to hire security guards or risk losing their business licenses.

“This is your chance to turn things around,” said Rosalind Wayman, field deputy for Councilman Marvin Braude, who initiated the zoning department’s efforts. “It’s the work you do now that will show that we don’t need to go any further.”

Gene Ho, manager of El Cortez motel, said he often tries to chase prostitutes away. El Cortez is one of the motels ordered to hire security, but like many owners and managers, Ho said he does not have the money to pay for a guard.

Police warned motel managers not to try dealing with the prostitutes directly.

“We’re not asking anyone to be a policeman,” said Los Angeles Police Officer Joe Losorelli, who patrols many of the motels on Sepulveda. “Maybe some of you could get together as a group and hire one car with one security officer, then you could see how little it would cost you.”

Managers and owners said they would meet later this month to discuss forming a motel watch.

Meanwhile, some managers expressed optimism that police, the city and motel owners can work together, including Mike Kim, co-owner of the Town House Motel, another motel ordered to hire security.

“No one wants the motels closed down,” Kim said.