Oakland Police Chief: Expects “huge increase” in anti-sex trafficking measures

OAKLAND, California. – Known as “The Blade,” several blocks along International Boulevard in Oakland are a hotbed of prostitution.

“Walking naked up and down the street all day,” said a man who lives in the neighborhood and introduced himself simply as Terrence.

He is tired of having sex workers running around his neighborhood.

“All the time. When police walk by, they don't do anything. They see it and just look away,” Terrence said.

But according to Oakland police, that's about to change.

Police Chief Floyd Mitchell recently stated at a meeting with public safety officials that combating sex trafficking is one of his top priorities.

“You’re going to see a tremendous surge down there on International Boulevard in the coming weeks to address these issues,” Chief Mitchell said.

Another neighbor tells us, out of camera view, that he lives above Godzilla Puff Palace, a tobacco shop where we saw several scantily clad women coming and going.

The same neighbor claimed that he encountered prostitutes performing sexual acts right outside his apartment door.

“We will hold these individuals who facilitate sex trafficking on our boulevards accountable for federal crimes,” Police Chief Mitchell said.

The San Francisco Collaborative Against Human Trafficking (SFCAHT) serves the entire Bay Area and helps victims become survivors.

It is known that prostitutes are often victims of sex trafficking.

Antonia Lavine, director of SFCAHT, told KTVU that the most common victims in the Bay Area include immigrants and children between the ages of 10 and 14.

“Such people are at great risk of being persuaded by traffickers to leave their families.”

And it's the things other children see walking along International Boulevard that worry neighbors.

“You have to explain to your children why this is the case,” Terrence said. “It's a collision of two different lifestyles.”

According to Police Chief Mitchell, the OPD spends a lot of overtime money to combat sex trafficking, but the exact amount was not immediately available.

The chief said that more measures to combat sex trafficking would be taken in the coming weeks.

The police did not provide any information about which federal authorities they are working with.

Help for victims is just a phone call away.

The San Francisco Bay Area Human Trafficking Hotline is available 24 hours a day at (415) 907-9911.