Police crack down on prostitution in lower Ocean Street neighbo...

The notion that folks come from out of the area to engage in prostitution here appears to be true. Why, just yesterday Glenn Beck was seen trying to solicit men in front of 7-11.

"When his renters have concerns about the area, Whitney said he tells them "it's a neighborhood in transition and the more better people move into the neighborhood, the better it will be."

It's been in "transition" for 20 years now, and the "better people" people who've moved in and bought in have not seen a lot change. Whitney is speaking through his LANDLORD's HAT. It's not about "more better people moving in" when the problems are caused by people from _out of the area_ who see it as a good place to do business because NOBODY CARES WHAT HAPPENS THERE.

Like in Beach Flats where half the drug dealers used to come from OUT OF TOWN to sell here. Don't know what it's like now, though.

The Craigslist/cell phone prostitution is observable but far less so than when prostitutes had to hawk their goodies without the benefit of being able to make connections and arrangements over the networks.

Craigslist is a much bigger peddler of prostitution and illicit sexual hook-ups. They need to shut that sleazeball site down for good. Watch the gays attack this post!!!

"Uh...I uh...I had no idea that she was a prostitute, officer. I thought she just needed someone to talk to. Honest."

A few stings down on lower Ocean will stop this crap in a hurry....confiscate any vehicles used in this crime and any property that the owner knowingly knows what happening..Johnny at the Harbor, hanging in.

the reason they practice Vice here as opposed to where they are from is because they know Santa Cruz will let them off with leniency. It's the same reason drug dealers peddle in San Francisco as opposed to Oakland...they know the DA there doesn't want to bother with a trial. Trust me nothing will change until our DA takes on quality of life crimes with the kind of diligence the public wants.

Yep wrote:

the reason they practice Vice here as opposed to where they are from is because they know Santa Cruz will let them off with leniency. It's the same reason drug dealers peddle in San Francisco as opposed to Oakland...they know the DA there doesn't want to bother with a trial. Trust me nothing will change until our DA takes on quality of life crimes with the kind of diligence the public wants.

This is true. The local narcotics agency set up a pharmacy sting and had 14 meth operations people lined up to bust but the SC DA didn't want to prosecute on SC turf. Imagine the message that sends to the drugies. No wonder they are flocking to SC like sheep. And the DA doesn't think THAT's bad for tourism?

Johnnybitchin wrote:

A few stings down on lower Ocean will stop this crap in a hurry....confiscate any vehicles used in this crime and any property that the owner knowingly knows what happening..Johnny at the Harbor, hanging in.

These little stings have done nothing to remedy it, they've been stinging for at least 25 years that I know of.

This item has less news impact than the skatepark sting for helmets and closing down the skate park. Why not close down the motels in lower ocean? In reality the motel owners are harboring and allowing illegal activity on their property. Priorities are way off in Santa Cruz these days. The police only respond when residents call. Don't they see the prostitutes and pimps when they drive by? You can't miss them if you have your eyes open. What's wrong, who is to blame for our town going downhill?

It takes two to tango. I hope the cops do an equal crack-down on the johns and pimps (this articles showed that a much larger number of women are being targeted)

NOLO (Neighbors Of Lowe Ocean) has worked with the DA's office to automatically issue restraining orders against those arrested for street crimes such as this that don't live in the area. They can be re-arrested on sight. NOLO meetings are the 4th Wed. of the month 7 pm downstairs @ Center For Non Violence 515 Broadway. Please attend, it's informal and friendly.
What I said was that good people make for a good neighborhood but you have to call the police and report crimes in progress. The lower ocean is the gateway to the beach and impacts all Santa Cruzans.

NOLO neighbor wrote:

This item has less news impact than the skatepark sting for helmets and closing down the skate park. Why not close down the motels in lower ocean? In reality the motel owners are harboring and allowing illegal activity on their property. Priorities are way off in Santa Cruz these days. The police only respond when residents call. Don't they see the prostitutes and pimps when they drive by? You can't miss them if you have your eyes open. What's wrong, who is to blame for our town going downhill?

The City gets kick backs from motel income. That income is more important than cracking down on prostitution, that is as long as it stays in lower ocean not going on in THEIR neighborhoods!

If the DAs office continues to let them plead to fines instead it's no wonder the police don't invest more time in undercover stings to make arrest.

Calling the police is fine but how often is a uniformed officer going to catch a prostitute with her John not only in the act but handing off money too?

Now I'm aware that the city has restraining orders preventing certain criminals from going downtown due to committing past crimes there. How about we do the same thing with the hookers AND the johns to keep them from lower ocean?

Make prostitution legal. Regulate it. Then they can rent those empty properties, pay taxes and social security.

Shut down the "hooker hotel" on the corner of lower Ocean and Broadway! I've lived on lower Ocean for years and there is nothing but trouble, trash and filth happening there! I find used needles tossed in my front yard, condoms on the sidewalk etc. It's beyond ridiculous already!

Gary Whitney wrote:

NOLO (Neighbors Of Lowe Ocean) has worked with the DA's office to automatically issue restraining orders against those arrested for street crimes such as this that don't live in the area. They can be re-arrested on sight. NOLO meetings are the 4th Wed. of the month 7 pm downstairs @ Center For Non Violence 515 Broadway. Please attend, it's informal and friendly.
What I said was that good people make for a good neighborhood but you have to call the police and report crimes in progress. The lower ocean is the gateway to the beach and impacts all Santa Cruzans.

There are never more than 4 people at those meetings, same ones all the time who do nothing but complain about garbage on Barson St. Not a very effective group in my opinion, since they still have not resolved how to get a garbage can in the area.

Born in SC wrote:

Shut down the "hooker hotel" on the corner of lower Ocean and Broadway! I've lived on lower Ocean for years and there is nothing but trouble, trash and filth happening there! I find used needles tossed in my front yard, condoms on the sidewalk etc. It's beyond ridiculous already!

The motel owners and operators are well aware of the prostitution activity- the owners instruct the receptionists to charge suspected prostitutes higher, sometimes double rates.

Fox News was running a teaser on this story that was something like, "Prostitutes have taken over the streets in a local city". Nice spin, guys.

I'm pretty sure I've seen three of the suspects on Front Street in the recent past. So maybe these out-of-town "workers" are in SC more often than this story implies?

Then I'd say they are profiting, which makes them a part of the illegal problem and not a solution. They aren't going to turn down hard cold cash and help rid the area of the problem. They should just hang signs "Welcome Prostitutes and Johns" on the sign.