Dozens arrested or cited in prostitution crackdown alongside Capp St. in San Francisco Mission District

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco police said dozens of people have been subpoenaed or arrested and resources have been made available to sex workers as part of an ongoing crackdown on prostitution along Capp Street in the city’s Mission District.

In an update on Friday, police said more than 30 people have been arrested or subpoenaed for soliciting prostitution since the raid began in fall 2022.

According to officials, the raid was prompted by community members who have raised concerns about the increase in sex work along the corridor.

“This street has always been known for sex work,” Bill Blum, a longtime Capp Street resident, told KPIX last month. “If I could just take the pimps out of the equation, I wouldn’t care.”

Mikayla Mays has also seen the young woman walking up and down Capp Street looking for a client.

“Personally, it makes me deeply saddened and concerned for her,” she told KPIX in February.

Mays shares the same opinion as many others living on Capp Street. There is sympathy for the women trying to earn a living on the streets.

Police said Friday sex workers they encountered during operations have been given resources to help them transition out of the industry and have not been subpoenaed for any sexual offences.

The operation also included increased traffic patrols in the area. Officials said nearly 150 traffic citations were issued for violations including failing to stop at a stop sign, speeding and driving without headlights.

Along with the crackdown, city crews have erected concrete barriers along the street to deter sex work. The move has led to complaints from the firefighters’ unionwho claim that the barriers could impede fire response.

Police said on Friday that operations against prostitution in the area would continue “for the foreseeable future”.

Anyone who knows someone who has been trafficked is asked to contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 or text “BeFree” to 233-7888. The San Francisco Bay Area Human Trafficking Hotline can be reached at 415-907-9911.

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