City Law Would Target Drugs, Prostitution

The City Council on Wednesday agreed to draft an ordinance authorizing police to issue citations to the owners of commercial properties known for prostitution or drug dealing.

Police are now only allowed to cite managers of motels and other establishments if the location has been identified as a “disorderly house.”

The council asked that the city attorney draft an ordinance that would allow police to cite property owners, who would face a misdemeanor charge after three violations.

Councilman Hal Bernson, who introduced the motion, said commercial property owners often replace a manager who has been cited to avoid a second citation on the same manager.

“This would be going a long way towards solving the problems some of you [council members] have in dealing with this in motels, especially along Sepulveda Boulevard,” Bernson told his fellow council members.

The motion passed easily, with little discussion. Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg, however, asked that the ordinance deal exclusively with commercial property and not residences.

Curbing prostitution and drug dealing along such places as Sepulveda Boulevard in Van Nuys and North Hills have been city concerns for many years.

The council is expected to review the ordinance draft within 90 days, city officials said.