Executive Summary
- Demand-Side Focus: LA County DA Nathan Hochman plans to charge sex buyers (“johns”) with felonies and potentially seize their vehicles to curb demand.
- Major Event Preparation: Officials are intensifying efforts ahead of the World Cup and 2028 Olympics, anticipating a rise in trafficking demand.
- Community Impact: Local schools have been forced to install visual barriers to shield students from rampant prostitution on the Figueroa Corridor.
- Prosecutorial Challenges: Authorities note the difficulty in prosecuting traffickers due to a lack of victim cooperation and the criminal code of silence.
Los Angeles city and county leaders have outlined a targeted strategy to dismantle human trafficking operations along the Figueroa Corridor, a notorious zone for street-level sex work known locally as “the Blade.” With major international events such as the World Cup, the Super Bowl, and the 2028 Olympics approaching, officials are prioritizing a “demand-side” enforcement approach to mitigate the anticipated surge in illicit activity.
The initiative comes amidst growing community concerns regarding the visibility of sex work near sensitive locations. According to reports from the area, the Gil Garcetti Learning Academy, an elementary school situated just one block west of the corridor, has installed green tarps on fencing to shield students. Elizabeth Garcia, a parent at the school, told reporters that the activity is visible during daylight hours, stating, “They literally stand in front of your car. They don’t care if your kids are inside.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass described previous enforcement efforts as a game of “Whac-A-Mole,” noting that localized crackdowns often displace the problem to other parts of the city. Mayor Bass emphasized the necessity of targeting the criminal enterprises and the “johns” rather than solely focusing on the corridor itself.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced a shift in prosecutorial strategy, aiming to dry up the demand by targeting sex buyers with severe penalties. “We’re going to go after the johns, these sex exploiters. And we’re going to go after them not just with misdemeanor prosecutions, but felony prosecutions,” Hochman stated. He indicated plans to pursue changes in state laws to facilitate these tougher charges and proposed additional deterrents, such as vehicle seizures and enabling civil lawsuits against buyers.
Prosecutors highlighted the operational challenges in dismantling the supply side of trafficking rings. Guillermo Santiso, head deputy district attorney for the Sex Crimes Division, explained that securing cooperation from victims is often difficult due to the code of silence within the subculture known as “the game.” Santiso noted, “One of the fundamental concepts of the game is you don’t snitch against your trafficker.” Despite these hurdles, DA Hochman affirmed that law enforcement would continue to target pimps and traffickers while seeking increased resources for police operations.
Strategic Enforcement Outlook
The strategic pivot toward penalizing the consumers of commercial sex acts represents a significant shift in Los Angeles’ approach to public safety ahead of the 2028 Olympics. By focusing on the economic drivers—the buyers—rather than solely on the supply side, authorities aim to disrupt the profitability of human trafficking networks. However, the success of this strategy likely hinges on the District Attorney’s ability to secure legislative changes for felony enhancements and the allocation of sufficient police resources to sustain long-term enforcement beyond immediate displacement effects.
It is important to note that all individuals discussed in the context of potential criminal charges or arrests are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
