SAN DIEGO — The parade of what appears to be sex workers and Johns in cars continues along Dalbergia Street in Barrio Logan, according to business owners who spoke to CBS 8.
Video recorded within the past month showed prostitution conducted in broad daylight, despite a crackdown in the area by the San Diego Police Department and the San Diego City Attorney’s office.
In February, SDPD arrested 48 people in the area during an undercover sting operation.
Last month, the city attorney announced a settlement in a lawsuit against the owners of the Main Street Motel, described in court papers as a hotbed for prostitution.
Under the terms of the settlement, rooms can't be rented by the hour, credit cards will be needed instead of cash, and security guards will patrol the motel.
“We haven't seen a lot of change, to be quite honest, we do see a little bit more activity with the police. They're driving up and down the street. They're rebuilding stuff in the neighborhood. So, I think that may have slowed it down a little bit. But, you know, they're still out there,” said one business owner who asked not to be identified.
The Main Street Motel remained “closed for renovation” on Thursday, as the sex trade continued a few blocks away.
“A lot of them were staying there, you know, that was kind of their central hub, but they really come from all over. We see him walking over from National City. There's still a lot of hotels just a few blocks away where they stay and we see him walking down the boulevard just to come to this area,” the business owner said.
CBS 8 witnessed two sex workers on Dalbergia Street at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Surveillance video from the neighborhood obtained by CBS 8 showed a brawl between three women in the street on June 13 at 1 a.m.
Other surveillance videos showed SDPD officers in marked cars during early-morning hours on a weeknight.
The business owner said officers need to focus their attention on Friday and Saturday nights, between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. when the sex workers seem to come out in full force.
“There's no less than 15 or 20 of these girls out here at various spots throughout the boulevard. It's not necessarily the locations where they're staying, it's actually where they're doing the dirty deed that they have to crack down on,” the business owner said.
CBS 8 reached out to SDPD for comment on the number of patrols in the area. A department spokesperson did not respond to our message.