Residents who live, work and go to school along Long Beach Boulevard may have noticed some changes since the City of Lynwood increased code inspections of motels in the area.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s is seeing a big reduction in prostitution activity, according to Lt. Michael Del Real, “We noticed a decrease of activity during the day and in the early evening hours, it’s almost nonexistent.”
Lt. Del Real says that prostitution has been a problem in this area for years, “We’ve always known that the heart of the problem is the motels, but now Lynwood is being proactive.” Last month, the City intensified its inspections to make sure the motels were compliant with city codes that relate to both the physical condition of the facilities and the regulations surrounding motel customers.
The number of arrests show the inspections are working. “We have determined there has been an approximate 50 percent decrease in prostitution activity since the City has begun holding the motels more accountable,” said Sgt. Paul Shigo.
Next month, the Sheriff’s Department will increase enforcement through its Prostitution Abatement Team and target the late night and early morning hours.