LONG BEACH : City Adopts New Law to Fight Prostitution
A test law to rid the streets of prostitutes’ customers has been unanimously approved by the City Council, even though vice officers in three cities have complained that the law is toothless.
The law allows police to seize a car when the owner is caught inside engaged in an act of prostitution. If the new law proves effective, it would likely be expanded to include other cities.
The law was written for Oakland and San Diego County, then amended to include Long Beach, Signal Hill and portions of Los Angeles. Gov. Pete Wilson signed the amendment, introduced by Assemblywoman Juanita McDonald (D-Carson), into law July 9. Neither Signal Hill nor Los Angeles has adopted an ordinance that would put the law into effect.
Vice officers in San Diego, Oakland and Long Beach have said the law is too restrictive to be useful. To seize a car, a customer must be caught twice with a prostitute inside, having sex, within the same year and the car can’t be the family’s sole method of transportation.
Police say that most johns are caught in sting-type operations and arresting one in his own car is rare.
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