Prostitution drops on Aurora Avenue after Seattle motels’ closure, but residents remain skeptical
From KOMO news:
Following the recent closures of two crime-ridden motels, neighbors told KOMO News there has been a noticeable drop in prostitution along Aurora Avenue in Seattle, but they expressed skepticism that the decline is sustainable.
On July 26, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) and Seattle City Attorney’s office served chronic nuisance declaration letters to the property owners of the Emerald Motel and the Seattle Inn. Within days, both motels temporarily closed while their owners agreed to stipulations of compliance needed to stop criminal activity.
Following the closures, KOMO News traveled along Aurora Avenue and saw only three prostitutes in the area near both motels. That compared to the dozens of sex workers that KOMO News witnessed during the same time of day just a few weeks earlier
In the days since the closures, people living along Aurora said they had observed far fewer instances of prostitution, yet they expressed skepticism that the lack of sex-fueled criminal activity would last.
RELATED: 2 Aurora Avenue motels cease operations amid police crackdown on illegal activities
“I think (prostitutes) will eventually be back unless the police enforce things. We’ll see,” said neighbor Shannon Hays.
“The city of Seattle needs to continue to diminish (prostitution) to stop it,” added business owner Thad Thompson. “It can’t be allowed.”
Since both motels closed a week ago, Thompson told KOMO News he’s witnessed prostitutes in an area where they didn’t use to be, including near the North Seattle/Shoreline border.
“Last night, when we left work, we saw five or six prostitutes, which was disappointing,” he noted.
KOMO News reached out to SPD for comment. They said officers have observed a drop in overall prostitutes working along Aurora in the last week since the motel closures.
RELATED: Another harrowing escape puts attention on open prostitution along Seattle’s Aurora Ave
Yet the pessimism along Aurora Avenue remains, including from a group that does outreach to street-based sex workers.
In a statement to KOMO, members of the “Greenlight Project” insisted prostitutes would actually be put at risk by the motel closures because more prostitutes will now work in isolation, as opposed to in groups.
“I’m sure they would pick a new life, because this is no life at all for them,” said Thompson.
SPD told KOMO News the following regarding the department:
SPD has and will continue to address the crimes along the Aurora Avenue corridor, including human trafficking. The department frequently works with city and federal partners in conducting operations to identify suspects engaged in or promoting this criminal activity. Businesses identified for their involvement in numerous crimes occurring at or near their location have been provided with Chronic Nuisance Declarations to take immediate action in eradicating illegal activities and safety concerns. The Seattle City Attorney’s Office will be moving forward with follow-up on whether or not the parameters of the declaration have been met by the businesses.
