Another $325,000 in penalties was stayed pending compliance with the injunction and stipulated judgment terms. “We are proud to be partners in abating this nuisance property.”Īdditionally, the hotel owners and operators must pay $25,000 to the Police Department to reimburse the city for its investigative costs and $50,000 in civil penalties. Jason Scott of the San Diego Police Department’s Vice unit said in a statement. “The San Diego Police Department is committed to holding human traffickers accountable and helping the survivors of this horrible crime,” Lt. The City Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to requests about where the cameras would be located. The agreement requires the motel owners to install security cameras on the property and provide remote access to the cameras to the San Diego Police Department 24 hours a day, upon request. When police contacted the motel operators about the ongoing illegal activity in August 2021, the operator told officers he couldn’t prevent criminal activity at the motel because he had no control over guests or visitors, according to the City Attorney’s Office. To settle the case and remain in business, the motel owners agreed to implement 36 measures that include hiring security guards, installing a new electronic key card system that monitors guests’ entry and departure, requiring guests to check in with a photo ID, ending a practice that allowed people to rent rooms by the hour and terminating the current motel operators’ lease, city officials said. “My Office does not back down when it comes to protecting the victims of sex trafficking or improving the quality of life for the surrounding community.” “This agreement should put an end to the sordid history of human trafficking and exploitation taking place in a neighborhood of families and small businesses,” City Attorney Mara Elliott said in a statement. Neither the owners nor the operators could be reached for comment.
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