When Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill last year decriminalizing loitering for the purposes of prostitution, he vowed to monitor trends for “any possible unintended consequences” of the law. The mayor of National City says he’s already seeing the fallout, as individuals in g-strings routinely parade city streets, sometimes standing in the middle of traffic in search of clientele.
“They're waving to people on the freeway or, just to be honest with you, they are bending over for the freeway. I don’t know how else to put it; they're showing their wares," National City Mayor Ron Morrison told Fox News Digital. Some of the sex workers, he said, appear to be underage.
The issue has impacted both local businesses and schools, one of which was forced to cover its windows to avoid exposing children. A similar scene played out near a private school in Oakland this year.
Morrison blames the Safer Streets for All Act, or SB 357, for the surge in visible prostitution and sex trafficking. He called the law "idiotic” and said it should have been named the "Safe Streets for Pimps Initiative.”
"This one has just opened the doors to prostitution, sex trafficking, child sex trading, I mean, you name it. This has obviously done that. And I don't think anyone that is not just purely politically motivated could disagree with that," Morrison said.
The bill was authored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) with support from civil rights organizations like the ACLU. It repealed California Penal Code Section 653.22, which criminalized loitering with the intent to engage in sex work.
Proponents of the legislation have argued that loitering laws are frequently used to discriminate against women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ community.
Asked whether National City could go after the individuals for indecent exposure, Morrison said existing law makes that difficult.
Morrison is now working with police and the district attorney’s office to come up with a solution.