Salinas City Council approves $620,000 to combat prostitution and human trafficking.

On Nov. 18, Salinas City Council approved allocating $620,000 to increase lighting in East Salinas with a goal of reducing prostitution and human trafficking in the area. It’s an issue that residents report worsened after California decriminalized loitering for the purpose of prostitution in 2023.

Lisa Brinton, Salinas’ community development director, told the council it won’t be an overnight fix. “This is really a deterrent. It is a step toward making the neighborhood feel more safe,” Brinton said.

Residents have organized a protest and attended council meetings to bring attention to this matter and demand a solution.

In response, the Salinas Police Department increased its presence in the area and city departments began working together toward a recommendation. In addition to the lighting, staff proposed adding no-parking areas and investigating if food trucks were a contributing factor. Residents rejected both ideas, saying they would have negative impacts and they don’t think there is a link between vendors and prostitution. (Council adopted lighting improvements, not changes to parking or food trucks.)

In addition, city officials will install nine cameras at intersections, at a cost of $94,234. That includes $840 for the first year of operations; future operations costs will be covered by Salinas PD.

Salinas Police Sgt. Zachary Dunagan notes calls reporting suspected prostitution have increased since the law changed. He says 24/7 surveillance and lighting could contribute to reducing illegal activity. “Increased visibility, surveillance cameras will not necessarily completely get rid of any problem, but it will help,” Dunagan says.