Video shows street barriers aimed at curbing alleged sex work torn down in SF’s ‘red-light district’

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Neighbors in San Francisco’s Mission District are calling the town’s try at curbing the uptick in alleged prostitution and violence – ineffective and harmful.

“That s**t they did… ain’t gonna work,” stated Nico, a long-time Mission district resident. “All it should do is frustrate the neighborhood.”

SFMTA put up short-term highway boundaries alongside 4 blocks of Capp Avenue between twenty second and 18th Friday morning to deal with considerations of alleged intercourse employees crowding the neighborhood. However video despatched to the ABC7 Information I-Crew exhibits the boundaries did not final lengthy.

EXCLUSIVE: SF residents say this road has changed into ‘Las Vegas Strip’ with alleged intercourse employees

In a single clip, a white Tesla is seen driving by means of the barrier lower than an hour after it was put up Friday, based on one neighbor who caught it on digital camera. Photographs captured over the weekend present a number of barricades had been destroyed, pushed down, or moved off the road.

As of Monday morning, SFMTA changed among the damaged barricades, however residents do not anticipate it would final lengthy. Others complain the issue has simply moved down the road.

“What is the state of affairs wanting like now?” ABC7’s Stephanie Sierra requested.

“It is the identical,” Nico stated, talking in regards to the alleged intercourse employees. “All they’ll do is transfer down the road.”

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A number of neighbors, who wished to stay nameless out of worry of retaliation from recognized pimps within the space, advised the I-Crew the alleged intercourse work shifted again to Shotwell Avenue over the weekend.

We requested a number of neighbors in the event that they seen a distinction with the barricades.

“It’s serving to,” stated one nameless resident. “Much less noise… no rampant gunshots.”

“Did you see fewer ladies on the road this weekend?” Sierra requested one other neighbor.

“Uh, not but. Not but.”

SF residents debate effectiveness of boundaries put in in hopes to curb intercourse work on key road

Ruben Billalobos has lived off twenty second Avenue within the Mission for 30 years.

“I seen fewer automobiles driving by,” he stated. “However it’s nonetheless happening.”

On a typical weekend night time, Billalobos says he often counts greater than 20 ladies crowding every block. However, he says the barricades helped cut back the site visitors over the weekend.

“I counted 13 ladies this weekend,” he advised the I-Crew. “Often it is 23… but it surely’s nonetheless dangerous.”

“The place do you assume they’re coming from?” Sierra requested.

“Oakland,” he stated.

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Billalobos says he witnessed a limo drop off ladies alongside twenty second and Capp Avenue Saturday night time and noticed them escorted to streets with out boundaries. He stated one of many ladies advised him she was from Oakland.

Nico advised the I-Crew that a lot of the pimps and the ladies working the road on this space usually are available in from the East Bay. The Mission native has lived within the space for 47 years and says he is by no means seen the issue this pervasive.

“They only escort them down the road,” Nico stated. “The boundaries will simply transfer the issue some other place.”

Town is working to put in everlasting concrete or water boundaries to interchange the present ones however advised the I-Crew that the choices wanted are presently out of inventory.

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