After reading the posts and related threads on vice enforcement in West LA, I decided to make a few inquires.   I have a personal interest in the subject since I frequent the area and visit a couple of providers there.

I have a friend who is a reporter for a major news media organization.  He has several very reliable contacts in the police department, so I thought he would be good source of information.  I explained the situation to him and asked if he could find out what was going on.  He contacted two sources: one in LAPD; the other in the LA Sheriff’s Department.  He was told by the LAPD source that there have been no changes in the police department’s vice enforcement policy.  

He said the police have no aspirations of putting all the prostitutes out of business.  Their objective is to control the nuisance of vice activity.  They only investigate vice situations that are Conspicuous, Commercial or Complained of.  Street walkers are conspicuous, and a public nuisance.  Organizations that operate escort services, or incall locations where prostitutes are employed, are considered commercial.  

When a complaint is initiated by a member of the public regarding a vice situation, the police investigate the complaint regardless of whether it is conspicuous or commercial.  Unless there is a complaint, the police department does not initiate investigations on independent adult prostitutes conducting business behind closed doors with adult clients.

When a vice complaint is received, the concerned vice unit conducts an investigation and documents the results on a vice report.  The fact that a citizen initiated the complaint must be articulated in the report.  In essence, if an independent provider was investigated, it was a result of a citizen’s complaint.  A complaining citizen could be any number of individuals, including but not limited to, competing providers, disgruntled clients, nosey neighbors, etc.  

Neither the new chief nor the upcoming elections have any effect on the vice enforcement policy.  The vice enforcement policy in West LA is the same as the police department’s policy.  There is no “program” to target independent prostitutes.  There is however, a new LA City Municipal Code section that allows the police to impound and seize the vehicles of individuals who are soliciting “street prostitutes.”  The code will have no effect on providers. The Sheriff’s vice enforcement policy is basically the same as LAPD’s.  

Santa Monica, Culver City and Beverly Hills are separate cities and have their own police departments.  Each police department has its own vice enforcement policy.  


-- Modified on 2/7/2003 10:59:17 PM

Any idea about Pasadena? I've heard Pasadena is really conservative with LE.

And what about a client who, after meeting with a provider, harasses her, sends threatening emails, and makes a threat to contact the authorities?

What we really need to know is if LE activity has increased.
There have been several warnings lately that it has.
I believe arrests are public record, and it would be helpful if someone would obtain and publish statistics so we can really see what's going on.

-- Modified on 2/8/2003 11:37:40 PM

If you carefully read and understand the original post, it will answer you question.  The reporter obtained the information from the most reliable source available, and answered the question of increased arrest activity.  

Pasadena,

They are out there aggresively going after providers.  Word to the wise jusl like OC stay out of Pasadena.  I speak from personal experience.  Also be carful woth the AMP style setups in the SGV these are being shutdown left and right.  The high volume ones are prime targets.

The only reliable answer is the number of arrests over the recent period.  You did not provide that.

Pasadena is not the hot spot that a certain poster indicated. I've lived and hobbied there for the past 8 years, and am friends with a reporter at the local fish wrap. In the past two years there was one bust in South Pas at an AMP. South Pas has their own police department, and one bust at a private incall location (asian) because the neighbors complained about foot traffic. The charges were Pasadena City Ordinance Massage Permit violations. There are 3 AMPs in Pasadena and no busts in the past 12 months. There is no independent vice department in the Pasadena Police Department. There is a department called SIS which handles narcotics, gangs and vice. Most of the vice arrests are for street walkers for action near certain motels in the east end of Colorado. Now, as for the rest of the SGV, I'm told that the LASO is on the move to close down certain asian incall places.

-- Modified on 2/17/2003 2:11:53 PM

Why don’t you obtain that information and share it with the rest of us?  I went to the trouble to get reliable information which I shared with other members.  There are those who contribute, and those who just complain and contribute nothing.  Which category do you fit into?

Not to argue semantics, but if Ace's information is correct, then even if arrests in West LA have increased it wouldn't be proof of a change in police policy, it could be the result of an increase in complaints initiated by the public.  I think Ace's information does address the current attitude of the West LA PD.

My contribution was to make the point that your "reliable information" about policy did not adequately address the issue of whether arrests are increasing and to what degree.  Only the official number of arrests will reveal this, not someone talking about policy.  I am surprised that you don't seem to understand or acknowledge this point, but merely see it as a complaint.  In fact your so called reliable information could have the effect of a false sense of security, while arrests continue to increase, if true.  My further contribution was to suggest how we could get the real data, and hope that someone could do that.  I am not in a position to obtain this information or I definitely would.  My challenge to you was to provide truly "reliable information" (arrest statistics), not just policy rhetoric.  After all, it wouldn't be the first time that LE was not following policy!

Who cares about perception about the "attitude" of PD.  What I want to know is if arrests are increasing, which has a direct affect on risk to providers and hobbyists.

I have strong reasons to believe that arrests ARE increasing, but wish for the actual data, otherwise we're just performing mental masturbation here, offering speculation, and arguing semantics.

you are right linkmiester..these cops arrest without legit reason and it is almost impossible to fight the corruption