The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion to consider more formal contracts with the motels it has agreements with to house homeless individuals, in order to ensure that they are proactively preventing the trafficking of young victims on their premises. Included in the contracts, the County will consider a requirement for the motels to sign a statement stating they will not participate in nor allow any form of sex trafficking in their facilities. The motel operators will also allow law enforcement to check guest registries, take a training session on sex trafficking, and post information with hotline services for reporting this crime.
About the motion, Supervisor Don Knabe said: “The ability for law enforcement to inspect hotel registries without a warrant is a powerful weapon in our fight to end child sex trafficking. I have heard from both the Sheriff and the District Attorney about how this practice has saved the lives of young girls. The Fourth Amendment should not be used as an escape clause for sex traffickers; I urge the Supreme Court to overturn the challenge to the LA City ordinance that allows this practice. I encourage those hotel operators who receive County housing vouchers to join us in the fight against the trafficking of young girl