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Salinas police propose no‑parking pilot, vendor moves and lighting to curb prostitution and trafficking on Kern/King corridor
Summary
Police briefed council on a cross‑department plan that would test a six‑month no‑parking/permitted‑parking pilot, relocate food trucks, install lighting/cameras and expand outreach; community members and food‑truck owners voiced concern, and council asked staff to hold a public community meeting before final action.
Commander Warner and the Salinas Police Department outlined a cross‑department response plan on May 27 to reduce prostitution and suspected human‑trafficking activity concentrated on a corridor bounded by East Market, Roosevelt, Kern and King streets.
What staff proposed
Warner described the legislative context: the city previously used state loitering statutes to detain people “loitering with intent to commit prostitution”; he said the 2023 repeal of that state law (identified in the meeting as Senate Bill 357, “Safer Streets for All Act”) removed a primary enforcement tool and led to a visible increase in street activity. The police recommended a cross‑department pilot: designate a segment of Kern between East Alisal and East Market as a no‑parking zone for six months (or a residential‑permit zone), temporarily relocate two existing designated food trucks and a permitted roaming truck, add targeted lighting and video cameras in strategic locations, increase coordinated enforcement and outreach and hold a community meeting to solicit neighborhood input and explain consequences.
Why the city wants to test changes
Police said some purchasers and sellers use the food‑truck area and nearby motels as focal points for activity; removing a nearby food‑truck cluster may reduce the area’s appeal as a place to stage transactions. Warner emphasized the need for non‑police partners in outreach and noted an active, multi‑agency encampment/response team already coordinates public works, code enforcement, outreach and police.
Community reaction
Dozens of residents and business owners spoke. Nearby church leaders and residents urged immediate action, citing children and worshipers who see the activity when they come and go. Food‑truck owners — some of them long‑established vendors — said they legally pay permits, clean the area and do not cause the problem; they asked to be included in planning and warned a forced move would harm small businesses. Community Human Services and residents experiencing homelessness also spoke about broader outreach and services going hand in hand with enforcement.
Council direction and next steps
Council members said they supported staff taking action but asked that city staff convene and advertise a community meeting first, and that any pilot be carefully crafted to avoid displacing activity to adjacent neighborhoods. Staff were asked to work with business owners on relocation options and to return with a plan that includes enforcement staffing, funding for lighting/cameras and clear metrics for success. The council also directed staff to invite state legislators to view local conditions. Multiple members said enforcement alone will not solve trafficking; they asked staff to combine enforcement with outreach, case management and county partners’ behavioral‑health services.
Why this matters
Police described the Kern/King corridor as a small area with outsized effects on neighborhood safety, churchgoer comfort and business activity. Council members and staff emphasized a phased, collaborative approach: a public meeting; targeted short‑term changes (parking rules, vendor relocation, more lighting/cameras); and ongoing coordination with homelessness outreach and county behavioral‑health resources.
