L.A. City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto expressed her gratitude to District Attorney Nathan Hochman for partnering on an initiative to combat the exploitation of children along the Figueroa Corridor, an area widely described as the epicenter of sex trafficking in the United States. Hochman said his office is focused on targeting buyers and pursuing felony charges against those who fuel the demand.

Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson said that while he is not a fan of camera surveillance, in this case the footage will be used as evidence and will lead to “Dear John” letters being sent to drivers identified along the corridor.

Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said the department is committed to holding traffickers accountable and restoring safety in the surrounding neighborhood. Local organizations have praised the shift away from criminalizing prostitution and toward recognizing that many individuals on the streets are underage and under duress. Feldstein Soto reiterated that there is still work to be done and said her goal is to rescue young children from the streets and put perpetrators in jail.

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