Oakland sets up street barriers in neighborhood plagued by prostitution

OAKLAND — It is a new technique to battle the world’s oldest occupation.

On Saturday, Oakland Division of Transportation employees put in site visitors diverters on East fifteenth Avenue to attempt to cease prostitution.

Intercourse employees have been soliciting on that avenue for years.

Employees positioned 35 water-filled plastic site visitors diverters alongside on the intersections of sixteenth, 18th, and twentieth avenues. The boundaries had been positioned throughout the intersection in a manner that also permits residents to drive out and in. Nevertheless it blocks folks from cruising straight down the road. The hope is it’s going to deter johns utilizing the road to select up the intercourse employees.

“I am joyful that it is occurring. Now we have been prisoners of our own residence. Now we have been residents over 50 years and we want one thing. One thing must occur and we had been on the brink of promote the house and transfer away. Hopefully it will make some distinction however, if not, we all know what to do,” mentioned Martha Espinoza.

Espinoza has lived on the East fifteenth her complete life. She and neighbors say avenue walkers solicit prospects daily. A few of them put on thongs, bikinis and see-through tops.

“It is what it brings and we have had points right here and it is exhausting and it’s extremely aggravating,” Espinoza mentioned. “My automotive has been shot a number of instances. Our dwelling has been shot a number of instances.”

“Now we have had a disaster of human trafficking. Girls, youngsters being exploited, some gun violence and that is impacting not solely these people who find themselves being exploited but it surely’s impacting the neighbors,” mentioned Oakland metropolis council president Nikki Fortunato Bas  who represents the realm.

She mentioned the site visitors diverters are a part of a holistic technique to fight intercourse trafficking.

“We’re hoping it will make an influence. We’re doing this on the request of the group. We put in velocity bumps final 12 months, improved the lighting final 12 months. Right this moment, we’re putting in these site visitors diverters that the group requested for to maintain the site visitors shifting, make it possible for we prioritize this residential avenue for the residents and the folks going to church, going to high school.”

“Now we have doubled or greater than doubled the assets in our division of violence prevention to make sure that counselors are with the ability to come out right here and make it possible for we ship the companies for individuals who are being trafficked. And so, actually, saving the ladies and never simply that however actually addressing who the patrons are and making that harder.”

After the boundaries had been put in, elected leaders held a gathering with neighbors at San Antonio Park to speak in regards to the technique and different points like crime and homelessness.

Espinoza is hopeful the brand new boundaries will work so her household would not must promote the home and transfer away.

“I do not know that it is a resolution but it surely’s an effort and it is headed that manner and I might slightly see that than nothing being accomplished, which is what occurred for years,” Espinoza mentioned.

Fortunato Bas mentioned the site visitors diverter technique is a pilot program. The town will examine in with the neighbors over the subsequent couple of months to see if it really works.