37 Arrested in SLO Prostitution Crackdown

Police in three San Luis Obispo County cities worked together to make dozens of arrests against prostitution this week.

37 men and women were arrested by police officers from San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande and Pismo Beach.

The crackdown was announced in a Friday afternoon news release from the SLO Police Department. In it, the term “human trafficking” was used.

“In an effort to suppress human trafficking for sex and acts of prostitution in our local communities, a multi-agency collaborative effort was formulated to target this industry which has had a noticeable increase in our local hotels/motels,” the news release said.

Police said Internet use and mobile communication made solicitation easier. The news release also addressed that some people think of prostitution as a less serious crime.

“Prostitution may be seen by some as a “victimless crime.” In recent times our communities have experienced the use of underage females by “pimps” to engage customers in acts of sex in order to make money to continue in a lifestyle of criminal behavior. Often these underage females are held against their will and are coerced into services through force, fear and retaliation if they do not perform. Often acts of prostitution are accompanied by the use and sales of narcotics, acts of violence to include serious assaults and robbery and the trafficking of stolen property. Additionally, those engaged in these encounters are exposed to transmittable diseases creating an additional public health and safety concern,” the release said.

All 37 of the people arrested in this week’s sting were legal adults. Those arrested included prostitutes and their customers. All were booked on prostitution-related charges. Two of the 37 were also charged with drug-related crimes.

Male and female undercover officers were used in the three-night-long crackdown.

Slideshow: 37 Arrested in SLO Prostitution Crackdown