Valley Is Added to Anti-Prostitution Bill

The San Fernando Valley may become part of a five-year pilot program being considered by the state Legislature that would allow police to take away the cars of men convicted twice of soliciting prostitutes with the same vehicle.

Acting at the request of concerned merchants along crime-ridden Sepulveda Boulevard, State Senator David A. Roberti (D-Van Nuys) convinced Assemblywoman Juanita M. McDonald (D-Carson) to add the Valley to AB 2667.

“The purpose of the program is to judge the effect of confiscation on the prostitution problem,” said Sandy Miller, Roberti’s district office chief of staff. “This problem is one of the senator’s highest priorities.”

If passed, AB 2667 would allow the Signal Hill, Long Beach and Valley communities to pass five-year ordinances that enable police to declare a motor vehicle a public nuisance if it is used by a person convicted of soliciting a prostitute.

Police would be able to impound the person’s vehicle permanently upon a second conviction on the same charge using the same vehicle. Exceptions would be made for stolen cars and vehicles owned by spouses or others not convicted.

Valley police and neighborhood activists are urging passage of the bill, which must clear the Senate Judiciary Committee, which Roberti chairs, by April 26. It was passed on to the Senate last month after a 62-0 vote of the Assembly.

Sepulveda Boulevard Business Watch President Flip Smith, who asked Roberti’s office for help combatting prostitutes, said the idea is simply sound economics.

“If you eliminate the customer, no matter what the package is, you can’t sell it,” Smith said.

Van Nuys Vice Sgt. Larry Mauldin said the measure would most affect repeat offenders. Under current law, he said, vehicles are not impounded when used by persons soliciting prostitutes.

“There’s a lot of married individuals who do this,” Mauldin said.

“If they knew their car might be impounded and they might have to explain it to their wife, it would have an impact.”