Residents voice outrage at town hall over alleged prostitution near homes, schools

Community speaks out about prostitution, crime on Western Avenue

Neighbors concerned about sex trafficking and prostitution along the Western Avenue corridor packed a community meeting demanding answers and accountability. 

LOS ANGELES - Frustration boiled over at a community town hall where residents from Larchmont to Koreatown said they are fed up with prostitution they claim is happening outside their homes and near schools.

What they're saying:

"On our way to school around 8 a.m., these women with no clothes curse at us," one resident said during public comment.

Last month, FOX 11 first reported on complaints in Larchmont, not far from Western Avenue. Neighbors said they felt ignored by city leaders in recent months, so they posted warning signs telling sex workers and clients that cameras were recording activity, but they said conditions have not improved.

"It’s not just me picking up used condoms on my street, it’s seeing literally 15-year-old girls on the corner naked," another resident said.

A member of the victim advocacy group Journey Out told attendees the organization has handled more than 20 crisis clients connected to the area since they started.

Representatives from advocacy groups, the LAPD and Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez attended the meeting and took questions from residents. Officials said their goal is to move women off the streets and into supportive services rather than jail.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Larchmont residents complain of alleged 'nighttime prostitution' activities outside homes

One resident criticized what they described as limited police response. "If I go down there and ask for help, they’ll give me a number," the resident said.

Asked whether he wants to see more police patrols, Soto-Martínez said multiple agencies are already involved. He pointed to partnerships with groups including Journey Out, which works with trafficking survivors.

"I think we have a really great team right now," he said.

Residents said they are tired of sending photos of activity to authorities and feeling nothing changes. Still, some left the meeting cautiously optimistic.

"It’s not going to be an overnight fix," one attendee said.