Inglewood, CA
Categories:
Tactics Used |
|
---|---|
Reverse stings | ✓ |
Shaming | ✓ |
Auto seizure | ✓ |
Community service | ✓ |
Public education | ✓ |
Neighborhood action | ✓ |
SOAP orders | ✓ |
John school | ✓ |
Letters | ✓ |
Cameras | ✓ |
Web stings | ✓ |
License suspension | ✓ |
Inglewood is a city of about 115,000 residents, located just south of Los Angeles near Hawthorne in Los Angeles County, California. Prostitution is a substantial problem in the city, and police have used a number of demand-reduction tactics in an attempt to control it. The Inglewood Police Department has conducted reverse stings (some of them large-scale) and has posted press releases on the PD website that included the names, ages, race, gender, and city of residence of those arrested. They also seize vehicles and will issue SOAP orders. For example, in a 2005 operation undercover police officers posed as both prostituted women and johns, resulting in the arrests of 34 individuals for prostitution-related offenses. The operation also resulted in the impounding of 15 vehicles. We know of at least 11 other reverse stings that have been conducted in Inglewood, the first occurring in 1974. The release of the identities of arrested johns is meant specifically as a deterrent, and not just as routine “crime blotter” reporting. The city’s press releases about reverse stings have contained the following message:
“The Inglewood Police Department has implemented a policy to post the names of individuals arrested during certain anti-prostitution operations, such as John Stings, in a continuing effort to deter this type of activity in the City. The arrestees’ names, along with their sex, race, age and city of residence, will be provided to local newspapers and other media sources after the conclusion of these operations.” (source: “Persons Arrested for Prostitution Activity”, Press Release, Inglewood Police Department, July 17 2004)
Key Sources
- Reverse Stings and Shaming:
- “Policewoman Used to Arrest Prostitutes’ Patrons”, Los Angeles Times, October 10 1974.
- “44 Men Arrested in Sex Soliciting at Inglewood”, Los Angeles Times, May 27 1978.
- “76 Men Seized for Soliciting”, Los Angeles Times, October 19 1978.
- “Inglewood Resumes War on Prostitution; Women, Customers Rounded Up in Renewed Crackdown”, Los Angeles Times, October 22 1978.
- “Prostitutes, Customers Arrested in Vice Raids”, Los Angeles Times, August 6 1979.
- “42 Arrested in Prostitution Sting”, Los Angeles Times, November 22 1990.
- “‘John Sting’ Arrests for Prostitution Activity”, Press Release, Inglewood Police Department, November 21 2003.
- “Persons Arrested for Prostitution Activity”, Press Release, Inglewood Police Department, July 17 2004.
- “Persons Arrested for Prostitution Activity; Cars Seized”, Press Release, Inglewood Police Department, April 8 2005.
- “IPD Targets Prostitution and Massage Related Business Activity”, Press Release, Inglewood Police Department, May 14 2005.
- “Prostitution Arrests and Impounded Vehicles”, Press Release, Inglewood Police Department, June 17 2005.
- “Prostitution Activity Arrests”, Press Release, Inglewood Police Department, July 8 2005.
- Auto Seizure:
- “Persons Arrested for Prostitution Activity; Cars Seized”, Press Release, Inglewood Police Department, April 8 2005.
- “Prostitution Arrests and Impounded Vehicles”, Press Release, Inglewood Police Department, June 17 2005.
- “Justices Overturn Local Vehicle Seizure Laws; State High Court Rules Authorities Cannot Seize Autos of Suspects in Prostitution, Drug Cases”, Los Angeles Times, July 27 2007.
- Sex Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation in the Area:
- Background on Prostitution in the Area:
- “Drugs, Prostitution Boom Inglewood Chief Says”, Los Angeles Times, May 9 1974.
- “Motel Closing Helps, But…; City Struggles to Curb Prostitution”, Los Angeles Times, May 30 1976.
- “Arrest, Conviction Rate of Hookers Up in Inglewood”, Los Angeles Times, August 22 1976.
- “Street Signs Slow Vice Traffic in Inglewood”, Los Angeles Times, August 19 1979.
- “Councilman Calls Protest Against Prostitution”, Los Angeles Times, November 29 1979.
- “Neighbors Take to the Streets; Inglewood March Protests Prostitutes”, Los Angeles Times, December 2 1979.
- “Signs Used to Fight Against Prostitution”, Los Angeles Times, November 27 1980.
- “End to Prostitution Unlikely, Judge Says”, Los Angeles Times, December 7 1980.
- “Los Angeles Hunts Killer of 10 Women”, Spokane Chronicle, September 24 1985.
- “Head of School Board Arrested in Assault; No Charges Filed”, Los Angeles Times, January 18 1990.
- “Century Boulevard Is a Crime, Merchants Say; Inglewood: City Council and Police Representatives Hear Complaints about Robberies, Drug Dealing and Prostitution”, Los Angeles Times, January 4 1991.
- “6 Indicted in Alleged Inglewood Prostitution”, Los Angeles Times, June 10 2004.
- “3 Plead Guilty to Felonies in Prostitution Case”, Long Beach Press-Telegram, June 9 2006.
- “Inglewood Officers Suspected of Having Sex at Massage Parlors”, ABC/KABC-TV 7, February 10 2007.
- “C.A. Upholds Firing of Officer over Sex with Prostitute”, Los Angeles Metropolitan News-Enterprise, November 10 2008.
State | California |
Type | City |
Population | 113376 |
Location |
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