Prostitutes wearing only G-strings have been pictured roaming the streets of a small California city, leaving one mayor frustrated over the repeal of a law that banned street-walking.
National City is spiraling out of control, according to Mayor Ron Morrison, because of brazen prostitutes congregating downtown.
Prostitution is illegal in the state of California, but Morrison believes that a new law that outlawed old practices from prowling for the purpose of making prostitution illegal is responsible.
Another law prohibits police from citing people suspected of seeking sex based on appearance, allowing prostitutes to walk the streets in scant clothing.
Morrison tells CBS8: ‘The police can’t literally go and talk to them because they don’t have the right to talk to them because they’re not doing anything wrong because they’re hanging around for prostitution.
“Even if they go out and talk to someone in their car and sit there when all they have on is less than a G-string.”
Prostitution is illegal in the state of California, but Mayor Ron Morrison believes a new state law is the cause of the problems
Another law prohibits police from citing people suspected of seeking sex based on appearance, allowing prostitutes to walk the streets in skimpy clothes
California Governor Gavin Newsom passed Senate Bill 357 in July of last year that made the changes, and they went into effect this year.
Morrison showed the store photos he claims show sex workers walking near Integrity Charter School, where parents drop off their children.
According to Morrison, officials are now actively looking to help businesses and hotels that have felt the effects of the prostitution.
The impartial mayor also told Fox News that as soon as Democrat Newsom’s pen touched the bill, prostitution in the state began to expand.
‘The minute it was signed by the governor, boom, everybody knew the rules were out the window,” Morrison said.
‘Those out there on the street, most of them are wearing less than what you would consider a skimpy negligee.
‘It just flaunts it in everyone’s face. And so a lot of people yell, ‘Hey, you know, can’t you get them on indecent exposure?’
Morrison, pictured here, said local government is now looking for ways to combat public prostitution
Morrison also showed photos of women he said were sex workers walking near Integrity Charter School, where parents drop off their children
California Governor Gavin Newsom answers questions during a news conference on September 26
He continued: ‘And the problem is the way we read laws in this state. The definition of indecent exposure is as long as the genitals are covered. Anything else is fair game in public.
“I was driving down one of the streets the other day, and there’s this young lady standing there in the middle of the street, basically wearing a G-string, and that was it, and some pasties. But she’s right in front of my car, I couldn’t move.
“So I asked her very politely, ‘Would you please move off the street?’ And she looked at me and said, ‘If you don’t want to talk to me, you can go around.’
Morrison also told Fox that he thinks some of the girls on the street may be minors.
The mayor said with prostitution now openly on the streets, other crimes have followed, including shootings and assaults – with a pregnant prostitute kidnapped, beaten and raped just a few weeks ago.
National City is not the first place in the state to be hit by sections of sex workers openly walking the streets.
Earlier this year, footage emerged showing women outside a Catholic elementary school in Oakland.
Footage captured by ABC News’ I-Team showed the women outside St Anthony’s soliciting customers in cars parked outside the school gate.
Rodney Pierre-Antoine, who oversees several Catholic elementary schools, including St. Anthony’s, said at the time: ‘We don’t want our students to witness the dangers of human trafficking.’
Shocking footage shows women who appear to be prostitutes soliciting clients right outside a Catholic elementary school in Oakland
When asked by ABC’s Stephanie Sierra if police patrol the area outside the school daily, he simply said, “They are present.”
Pierre-Antoine also claimed that the police could not police properly because of the introduction of the bill. “With the passing of the vagrant bill, their hands are somewhat tied,” he said.
Community members, including the parish’s Father Ghebriel Woldai, told the channel the problems run deeper and an influx of pimps has also caused a rise in violent crime and confrontations between pimps and gang members.
“When there is a violent shooting, sometimes we experience these kinds of things, it scares me a lot,” said father Ghebriel. “We feel powerless, we just pray.”