City trying to shut down East Oakland hotels that it says cater to prostitution Ryan Phillips on March 1, At least two or three times a week, I see customers picking up girls. He said one of the reasons prostitution flourishes on International is because there are hotels that make it part of their business. He said one such hotel is the National Lodge, on International Boulevard and 17 th Avenue, where he said he was personally solicited for sex last year.
The lawsuits include allegations of many instances of crimes committed on hotel property, including prostitution and child prostitution. According to the city, the National Lodge was informed there was prostitution going on at its premises in May of , but it continued unabated.
The trials for each hotel began in state superior court in early February—the National Lodge on February 10 and the Economy Inn on February The next hearing for the Economy Inn is April Lawyers for the National Lodge have pled not guilty, arguing that prostitution has stopped at the hotel.
On Tuesday, the city filed a proposed statement of decision for the National Lodge case, a document that states what the city would like to see in the ruling by Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte.
Prostitution activity in the neighborhood and at the National Lodge has harmed the community, local businesses, drained police and other City resources; worse, the National Lodge has catered to, and supported the abhorrent child sexual exploitation and human trafficking industry in Oakland. In January, , EBAYC conducted a listening survey of about people in the area, and asked them what would make the area a better place to raise kids.
