Report: Prostitution Problem Along Lankershim Growing

Prostitution along Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood and Sun Valley has been a long-term problem.

A year ago at a North Hollywood North East Neighborhood Council Meeting, Esther Vasquez, a Senior Lead Officer with the Los Angeles Police Department Foothill Division, said the problem was and San Fernando Road in Sun Valley just north of North Hollywood.

“We had drop-off points, we had four and five girls getting out of cars. It was really bad,” said Vasquez.

While the problem is concentrated in that area, it extends far south well into North Hollywood along Lankershim. The LAPD patrols the area and makes frequent arrests, like in August when Patch listened to police scanner and reported about a .

But despite the efforts, the LAPD has been unable to significantly control the problem. There were 164 arrests for prostitution last year in the area, according to the Daily News, down slightly from the year before. The Daily News also reported that local residents in Sun Valley feel the problem is getting worse and is negatively impacting many businesses. Residents also said that prostitutes arrested in the area quickly return. Reports of women being driven in large groups from other parts of the city in vans and dropped off are still occurring, according to the report.

Read more about the problem in these previous stories: