The city of Oakland hopes a new pilot program to install temporary barricades on the side streets along its known sex trafficking boulevard, known as The Blade, will help to curb street prostitution.
Oakland City Council member for District 2, Charlene Wang, has proposed installing the barriers along International Boulevard near 14th avenue in hopes of preventing Johns from having access to sex workers.
“This pilot proposal is essentially to put up some water-filled traffic barriers along the streets of 9th, 10th and 11th Avenue off of International Boulevard,” Wang told KTVU, about the area near a health clinic and an elementary school.
Wang said the idea would be to block the side streets and essentially push the illegal activity out onto the main road, making it easier for police to crack down on people paying for sex.
“International is like the main corridor,” the council member said. “But you know, the purchasing activity happens on these side streets, is to block off those areas so that can’t happen there.”
“In some ways, it’s to force it onto International Boulevard. That way it makes it easier for the police to do their job.”
But not everyone is hopeful that it will stop, with residents and businesses citing concerns about parking and traffic in the area.
“No, I don’t think so. It’s been here for so long, at the corner,” David Nguyen, who runs Autolectrics Car Wash, told the outlet.
In a Facebook post about the proposal, there were a lot of mixed thoughts about it too.
One person wrote, “The answer is community policing, not roadblocks.”
Another added, “Both..and they need Social Workers to be present with the police.”
While a third wrote, “Here’s a thought: why not invest in actual resources to help the victims of sex trafficking like education, job training, housing, healthcare, safe ways and places for these kids to get help, etc?”
“A barrier isn’t going to do it and will be a big waste of money. I do want to note there is a difference between sex workers and sex trafficking victims, one is by free will and choice, the other is not.”
Sex workers KTVU spoke with also made it clear the barriers weren’t going to stop them.
Wong admitted it’s just an idea and she has no clue if it will be successful in stopping the street prostitution.
The proposal would go along with an ordinance passed by the city earlier in the year to stop the illegal sex activity. According to the city amendment, “Loitering For The Purpose Of Purchasing Commercial Sex As An Offense” was added.
It also includes, “Fines Against Sex-Purchasers, Sex-Traffickers, And Properties Used For Prostitution” and the creation of a “Human Trafficking Survivor Support Fund.”
The proposal followed one from several years ago where the city installed blockades along 16th avenue, per the outlet. The pilot program is expected to get underway in June.
The Post reached out to Wang and Oakland Police Department for further comment.
