San Francisco Mulls Creating a Red-Light District

I moved to San Francisco almost right out of college for a sort of internship. I lived there for as long as my wallet could stand it. For a fresh-faced college boy, San Francisco even then was a bit of an eye-opener. Of course, that was before the jump in homelessness and crime. I’m sure it’s much more interesting if less enjoyable now than it was back then.

In California’s race to establish itself as America’s first third-world state, it passed a law repealing the ban on loitering for prostitution. The bill, Senate Bill 357, was the brainchild of state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-11th district), who held that cops were disproportionately targeting women of color and trans people. Now, according to a report in Fox News, prostitution and with it, human trafficking is running rampant in cities in California. Cops say that they can do nothing to help women and children who may be victims of trafficking since they no longer have probable cause to stop and talk with someone, and possibly intervene.

Supporters of the bill say that the previous law criminalized sex workers and created distrust. In Oakland, pimps had women outside of a Catholic school, and prostitutes can be seen walking the streets in various stages of undress day and night. Some appear to be underage. L.A.’s Figueroa Street is now awash with prostitutes. According to the article:

Police said with the emboldened prostitution rings come robberies, shootings, aggravated assaults and other crimes. Many of the pimps are gang-affiliated and take no issue with beating women or going after rival pimps who try to poach one of the workers, they said. Some even record the beatdowns because they “think it’s funny,” police said.

San Francisco’s Mission District has seen a growth in prostitution to the point that residents no longer feel safe. One person told the San Francisco Chronicle, “From the window right there, I’ll see three [people] ganging up on a girl. They’ll be hitting her.” But the City by the Bay is considering a possible solution: an official red-light district.

San Francisco’s ABC News 7 reports that Supervisor Hillary Ronen supports the plan. Aide Santiago Lerma told the station “She’s very concerned about the situation out there right now. The last two weekends, we’ve walked out at night with some of the neighbors last week, we also walked with Assistant Chief David Lazar, who is also shocked at the magnitude of the situation.” Lerma added, “What we want to do is push our state legislature to legalize sex trade in California. This would allow localities to regulate the trade and keep people safe.” One resident, who was identified as Bertie, said that there is a problem and told Channel 7 that he supports the creation of a red-light district:

You have to be conscious, these are people who are trying to make it like everybody else. They have healthcare. They have benefits. I think it’s very smart to-do. I’d love to see that happening here. They are here everyday. Really working hard. It’s only fair to give them the opportunity to work in a better environment.”

So far, no location has been pitched for the proposed district. For the present, the city is planning on putting up barricades on one of the problem streets which will provide access to residents while preventing drive-through traffic. The police department said in a statement, “The Department is aware of the issues of sex workers and the potential of human trafficking on Capp Street. The department is utilizing strategies to stop and disrupt the criminal activity, while being compassionate to those forced into the sex trafficking trade.”

Theoretically, the concept would make things safer for residents and those of legal age who are willingly involved in the sex trade. But for those who are underage, or who have been forced into prostitution, the problem of locating and rescuing them remains. And pimps and gang members are not exactly known for adhering to any laws, and can hardly be expected to respect the boundaries of a red-light district.

And what of Ronen’s desire to legalize sex work in California? I’m sure Gavin Newsom would be more than happy to sign such a bill into law, and not just because it would generate revenue through taxes and licenses or because it would add one more tourist attraction to the Golden State. But also because it is one more boundary to push. One more way to “lead” the nation. One more thing to legalize to keep California on the cutting edge. And while consenting adults will be allowed to do what they wish, the door will still be left open to victimize the young and the helpless. Perhaps before forging ahead, San Francisco could benefit from conversations with women who left the sex trade and with those who have been trafficked and exploited.