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CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
City of Anaheim
CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE
DATE: NOVEMBER 13, 2024
FROM: CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE
SUBJECT: RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
TAKE ACTION TO MITIGATE THE IMPACTS OF SENATE
BILL 357 – “SAFER STREETS FOR ALL ACT”
ATTACHMENT (Y/N): YES ITEM # 17
GOVERNMENT CODE § 84308 APPLIES: NO
REQUESTED ACTION:
That the City Council, by Resolution, request the State of California to mitigate the impacts of Senate Bill 357.
DISCUSSION:
At the October 29, 2024, City Council meeting, Council Member Jose Diaz requested a resolution urging the State of California to take action to mitigate the impacts of Senate Bill 357, also known as the “Safer Streets for All Act” (SB 357).
On January 1, 2023, SB 357 took effect, repealing California Penal Code Section 653.22, a law that criminalizes loitering with the intent to engage in sex work. This law has been a focal point in the debate over sex work, law enforcement practices, and public safety.
While the stated intent of SB 357 is to prevent discrimination and reduce harassment in public spaces, there is significant concern over the broader implications for cities like Anaheim, where prostitution and human trafficking have had a measurable impact on residents' quality of life, public health, and local businesses.
West Anaheim, like several communities throughout California, experiences the impacts of SB 357, specifically along Beach Boulevard, which covers 1.5 miles in Anaheim from Lincoln Avenue to Ball Road. The area comprises 45,000 residents within a mile, single- family, apartment, mobile home neighborhoods, West Anaheim Youth Center, retail centers, hospital and medical officers, and motels. Over the years, the area has experienced problems along the corridor, including prostitution, human trafficking, drugs, and blighted motels. In December 2021, the city began its Rebuild Beach effort to address these problems.
Law enforcement is continuously working to keep people and businesses safe and minimize crime occurring on Beach Boulevard. However, since the passing of SB 357, there has been an increase in visible prostitution in the area. SB 357 has hampered law Resolution requesting the State of California take action to mitigate the impacts of Senate Bill 357 (SB 357) November 13, 2024
enforcement’s ability to prevent prostitution activity occurring on the streets and initiate human trafficking investigations. Before the legislative change, uniformed officers could better deter prostitution because they had the legal authority to detain someone for loitering with the intent to commit prostitution, allowing them to investigate a potential crime and immediately prevent a more severe offense from happening. Now, law enforcement must rely on resource-intensive undercover operations to curb street prostitution, identify victims of human trafficking, and build a provable criminal case against traffickers.
The absence of this tool can encourage individuals to engage in prostitution openly, leading to heightened public safety concerns, an increase in criminal activity such as human trafficking and drug-related offenses, and placing an undue strain on local law enforcement resources.
While SB 357 addresses critical issues related to the criminalization of vulnerable populations, the state should take additional steps to mitigate the potential impacts of this law on local jurisdictions like Anaheim.
If approved, the city will send our state delegation a letter with the resolution.
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
There is no budgetary impact.
Respectfully submitted,
Greg Garcia
Assistant City Manager
Attachment:
1. Resolution