This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/16/us/california-today-oakland-prostitution.html
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| California Today: A ‘See Something, Say Something’ Prostitution Plan | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Good morning. | Good morning. |
| Welcome to California Today, a morning update on the stories that matter to Californians (and anyone else interested in the state). | Welcome to California Today, a morning update on the stories that matter to Californians (and anyone else interested in the state). |
| Tell us about the issues that matter to you — and what you’d like to see: CAtoday@nytimes.com. | Tell us about the issues that matter to you — and what you’d like to see: CAtoday@nytimes.com. |
| Want to receive California Today by email? Sign up. | Want to receive California Today by email? Sign up. |
| Thomas Fuller, the San Francisco bureau chief for The New York Times, provides today’s introduction with news of an unusual anti-crime initiative in the Bay Area. | Thomas Fuller, the San Francisco bureau chief for The New York Times, provides today’s introduction with news of an unusual anti-crime initiative in the Bay Area. |
| Oakland hosts millions of visitors every year for its sports events, thriving restaurant scene and growing technology businesses. The city also gets lots of out-of-town johns who prowl the streets for sex. | Oakland hosts millions of visitors every year for its sports events, thriving restaurant scene and growing technology businesses. The city also gets lots of out-of-town johns who prowl the streets for sex. |
| Of the 660 arrests made last year for prostitution in Oakland, more than two-thirds of the suspects came from outside the city. | Of the 660 arrests made last year for prostitution in Oakland, more than two-thirds of the suspects came from outside the city. |
| On Saturday, Oakland is taking an unconventional step in fighting its image as one of America’s most crime-ridden cities, introducing a website, reportjohn.org, that city authorities hope will deter customers of the sex trade. | On Saturday, Oakland is taking an unconventional step in fighting its image as one of America’s most crime-ridden cities, introducing a website, reportjohn.org, that city authorities hope will deter customers of the sex trade. |
| Residents will be encouraged to note down the license plate numbers of suspected johns’ vehicles and describe the specific activity they witnessed. The sightings are uploaded to the police, who will send a letter to the address where the vehicle is registered. | Residents will be encouraged to note down the license plate numbers of suspected johns’ vehicles and describe the specific activity they witnessed. The sightings are uploaded to the police, who will send a letter to the address where the vehicle is registered. |
| Karely Ordaz Salto, the chairwoman of the city’s Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Task Force, says Oakland is the first city to target johns in this way. | Karely Ordaz Salto, the chairwoman of the city’s Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Task Force, says Oakland is the first city to target johns in this way. |
| “The hope is that they will think twice and this will deter them,” said Lt. Jill Encinias of the Oakland Police Department. “We really need to attack this problem from all sides. We need to start focusing on the demand.” | “The hope is that they will think twice and this will deter them,” said Lt. Jill Encinias of the Oakland Police Department. “We really need to attack this problem from all sides. We need to start focusing on the demand.” |
| The first question in the online form gets straight to the point: “Do you have any photos of the activity?” | The first question in the online form gets straight to the point: “Do you have any photos of the activity?” |
| The city’s problem with prostitution, and especially the involvement of girls, has been underscored this year by a scandal in its police department involving a young prostitute who claimed that she had had sex with officers and said the police had tipped her off to raids. The scandal led to the departure of three police chiefs in less than two weeks. | The city’s problem with prostitution, and especially the involvement of girls, has been underscored this year by a scandal in its police department involving a young prostitute who claimed that she had had sex with officers and said the police had tipped her off to raids. The scandal led to the departure of three police chiefs in less than two weeks. |
| The predecessor to reportjohn.org was a program called Dear John, introduced in 2013, which allowed residents to fill out a form that they submitted to the police. That program generated more than 300 “Dear John” letters mailed to the owners of the vehicles spotted by residents. The police department considered it such a success that the authorities wanted to move it to an online format. | The predecessor to reportjohn.org was a program called Dear John, introduced in 2013, which allowed residents to fill out a form that they submitted to the police. That program generated more than 300 “Dear John” letters mailed to the owners of the vehicles spotted by residents. The police department considered it such a success that the authorities wanted to move it to an online format. |
| Although the program could conceivably lead to foul play — vendettas by jilted lovers or disgruntled neighbors come to mind — Lieutenant Encinias said there had been no signs of false reporting in the Dear John program. That said, stay tuned for reaction from civil liberties groups. | Although the program could conceivably lead to foul play — vendettas by jilted lovers or disgruntled neighbors come to mind — Lieutenant Encinias said there had been no signs of false reporting in the Dear John program. That said, stay tuned for reaction from civil liberties groups. |
| “This has historically been something that people thought they could do in the shadows,” said Erica Terry Derryck, a spokeswoman for Mayor Libby Schaaf. “The intent is to put people on notice.” | “This has historically been something that people thought they could do in the shadows,” said Erica Terry Derryck, a spokeswoman for Mayor Libby Schaaf. “The intent is to put people on notice.” |
| • No, the federal government does not have plans to kill 45,000 wild horses in the western United States. [The New York Times] | • No, the federal government does not have plans to kill 45,000 wild horses in the western United States. [The New York Times] |
| • Regulators proposed leaving more water for struggling fish in the San Joaquin River system, setting the stage for cutbacks to cities and farms. [Sacramento Bee] | • Regulators proposed leaving more water for struggling fish in the San Joaquin River system, setting the stage for cutbacks to cities and farms. [Sacramento Bee] |
| • A look at three multimillionaires influencing the statewide ballot this November. [CALmatters] | • A look at three multimillionaires influencing the statewide ballot this November. [CALmatters] |
| • What life is like behind bars for prisoner 1027820, also known as O.J. Simpson.[Los Angeles Times] | • What life is like behind bars for prisoner 1027820, also known as O.J. Simpson.[Los Angeles Times] |
| • A crucial vote advanced a plan to move the Raiders to Las Vegas. [Mercury News] | • A crucial vote advanced a plan to move the Raiders to Las Vegas. [Mercury News] |
| • The violent deaths of a former Nascar driver’s father and stepmother in Orange has shaken the community. [Orange County Register] | • The violent deaths of a former Nascar driver’s father and stepmother in Orange has shaken the community. [Orange County Register] |
| • A small farming city in Central California is facing a widening hazing scandal involving high school football players. [The Associated Press] | • A small farming city in Central California is facing a widening hazing scandal involving high school football players. [The Associated Press] |
| • From classic American fare to Thai restaurants and Mexican taquerias, Sunset Boulevard is a culinary adventure. [The New York Times] | • From classic American fare to Thai restaurants and Mexican taquerias, Sunset Boulevard is a culinary adventure. [The New York Times] |
| • As Venice booms, some residents wonder whether Los Angeles is holding them back. [Los Angeles Times] | • As Venice booms, some residents wonder whether Los Angeles is holding them back. [Los Angeles Times] |
| • An annual coastal cleanup is expected to draw thousands of volunteers this weekend. [KQED] | • An annual coastal cleanup is expected to draw thousands of volunteers this weekend. [KQED] |
| Who couldn’t use a little more color in their day? | Who couldn’t use a little more color in their day? |
| That’s the idea behind two new eye-popping crosswalk designs in downtown Santa Monica. | That’s the idea behind two new eye-popping crosswalk designs in downtown Santa Monica. |
| The city hired two artists, armed with buckets of boldly colored paints, to create the artworks this week as part of an effort to delight pedestrians, said Constance Farrell, a city spokeswoman. | The city hired two artists, armed with buckets of boldly colored paints, to create the artworks this week as part of an effort to delight pedestrians, said Constance Farrell, a city spokeswoman. |
| The Federal Highway Administration actually frowns on crosswalk art, calling them distracting. But that hasn’t stop a bunch of municipalities from doing it, anyway. | The Federal Highway Administration actually frowns on crosswalk art, calling them distracting. But that hasn’t stop a bunch of municipalities from doing it, anyway. |
| Long Beach, West Hollywood and San Francisco are among the cities that have colored their crosswalks in recent years, though perhaps not quite on so grand a scale as Santa Monica. | Long Beach, West Hollywood and San Francisco are among the cities that have colored their crosswalks in recent years, though perhaps not quite on so grand a scale as Santa Monica. |
| One of the designs fills the entire intersection at one of the city’s 12 new “scramble crosswalks” — the kind that lets you cross the street every which way, including diagonally. | One of the designs fills the entire intersection at one of the city’s 12 new “scramble crosswalks” — the kind that lets you cross the street every which way, including diagonally. |
| Counter to the government’s recommendations, Ms. Farrell suggested that the bright colors would improve safety by catching drivers’ attention. | Counter to the government’s recommendations, Ms. Farrell suggested that the bright colors would improve safety by catching drivers’ attention. |
| One has to wonder, though, how long the sheen will hold up under an unending march of vehicle tires and footsteps. | One has to wonder, though, how long the sheen will hold up under an unending march of vehicle tires and footsteps. |
| “Upkeep is something we’re monitoring,” Ms. Farrell said. | “Upkeep is something we’re monitoring,” Ms. Farrell said. |
| California Today goes live at 6 a.m. Pacific time weekdays. Tell us what you want to see: CAtoday@nytimes.com. | California Today goes live at 6 a.m. Pacific time weekdays. Tell us what you want to see: CAtoday@nytimes.com. |
| The California Today columnist, Mike McPhate, is a third-generation Californian — born outside Sacramento and raised in San Juan Capistrano. He lives in Davis. Follow him on Twitter. | The California Today columnist, Mike McPhate, is a third-generation Californian — born outside Sacramento and raised in San Juan Capistrano. He lives in Davis. Follow him on Twitter. |
| California Today is edited by Julie Bloom, who grew up in Los Angeles and attended U.C. Berkeley. | California Today is edited by Julie Bloom, who grew up in Los Angeles and attended U.C. Berkeley. |