SF residents debate effectiveness of barriers installed in hopes to curb sex work on key street

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — All day Saturday, drivers needed to make U-turns on Capp Avenue in San Francisco after new highway blocks had been arrange alongside the road.

“It’s going to definitely cease the automotive visitors that is coming although associated to the intercourse employees on our road. So, it would assist, which is greater than we had earlier than,” mentioned Elaine Whitney, who has lived on Capp Avenue for the previous 25 years.

The concept of the highway blocks is from San Francisco Supervisor Hillary Ronen. The objective is to discourage potential clients from cruising alongside Capp Avenue on the lookout for intercourse employees.

Many residents are fed up that extra is not being performed to sort out the problem.

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“It is problematic. Not due to what it’s, however as a result of there may be this unregulated enterprise on the road. You get numerous trash, you get numerous visitors, you get numerous arguments. Typically fights, typically women are being damage,” Whitney mentioned.

One mom, who did not need to be recognized for worry of retaliation, says a minimum of it is a begin.

“However it’s an emergency answer for now as a result of issues had been so uncontrolled, that one thing must be performed to provide among the households that stay on the road some aid,” she mentioned.

She mentioned there could be as much as 100 ladies on the road on any evening. She added that, primarily based on what she has seen, it is gotten worse simply over the previous six months.

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“They’re much much less dressed than they was once. They’re strolling within the streets, which isn’t the case earlier than, they usually appeared drugged,” she mentioned. “There are actually younger ladies being subjected to this. That is what persons are not listening to. Folks simply assume that is regular intercourse work.”

Carina Kahane is a more moderen resident to Capp Avenue. She identified that intercourse work is sophisticated and hopes the ladies concerned have extra say. And he or she questions how efficient the limitations might be.

“This feels little bit like a band-aid. Here’s a stick in the midst of the road. Additionally, automobiles have been shifting this and driving by. So, it looks as if we’re actually not attending to the foundation of something. They’ll most likely simply transfer over a road,” Kahane mentioned.

Supervisor Ronen was not accessible for remark.

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