LANCASTER – The Lancaster City Council unanimously approved an ordinance on Tuesday that aims to curb sex trafficking by holding local motel and hotel owners responsible for activities that occur on their premises.
Lancaster’s Human Trafficking and Nuisance Motels ordinance declares it an unlawful public nuisance to “directly or indirectly maintain or permit the use of a motel for the purpose of human trafficking, sex trafficking, prostitution, lewdness or illegal gambling.” [View the ordinance here.]
“Any motel at which a nuisance occurs or is present… constitutes a nuisance motel, subject to abatement,” according to the ordinance.
The ordinance also states that every owner, operator, manager and employee shall be responsible for preventing the use of the motel for human trafficking, drug activity or other illegal activities. It lists various circumstances that could indicate illegal activity, including:
- Attempting to rent a room for less than twelve hours, or leaving after only a few hours;
- Paying with cash to avoid a paper trail;
- Attempting to rent a room without presenting valid identification;
- Reserving multiple rooms at once;
- Reserving a room for extended periods of time, but bringing few or no possessions;
- A guest who appears malnourished or physically abused;
- A guest who is dressed inappropriately for his/her age;
- Frequent guests coming and going;
- Frequent vehicles coming and going;
- The smell of marijuana, chemicals or other unusual odors coming from a room or rooms.
Owners, operators, managers and employees who suspect human trafficking or other illegal activity must notify the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station or the city’s Public Safety Department. Those who violate the ordinance shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and may be subject to an administrative citation of $1,000 for the first violation and $5,000 for subsequent violations, according to the ordinance. [View the ordinance here.]
The ordinance also allows the city of Lancaster to “utilize all other legal remedies to abate a nuisance motel, including criminal proceedings, business license suspension or revocation, and civil injunctive relief… which allows for closing the premises for up to one year and obtaining a civil penalty of up to $25,000,” according to a city staff report.
In moving forward with the new ordinance, Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris suggested that the language be revised in the future to clearly distinguish between adults and minors involved in sex trafficking. The latter was essentially child molestation, he said.
“If there’s some way we can bulldoze one of these hotels for aiding and abetting child molestation — and I’m dead serious — I want to bulldoze the hotel,” Parris said.
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michael rives says
I asked the City Council to investigate the numerous massage parlors and nail salons in the city as possible sites of human trafficking. 13 massage establishments in a 4 ten-block area is way too many plus there are 9 nail salons in the same area. The internet is filled with numerous articles that show that human trafficking is not just practiced in motels and hotels.
Looking for the owners of the building housing the massage businesses, I was able to locate only 5 because the numerous of the others didn’t come up. 4 of the five owners live outside the city.
The city council has to protected the workers in all cases of human trafficking.
Mars says
Thank you! THANK YOU!! IT’S ABOUT TIME!!!
I have Seen changes for over 25yrs and witnessed Adults pimping young children , Children not taken care of children dressed in an adult shirt barefoot in freezing, raining weather, some with itty bitty clothes, All kinds of Sketchy people coming and going from these Motels, Hotels..I didn’t understand how Motels, Hotels, or even Authorities or people in general could even stand by see this going on and not do anything. Same with Homeless People ..Also We have so much empty land..why not build Tiny Homes for Transition Homes for Homeless..Let’s Clean Up our Antelope Valley & Make It Safe
John Thomas says
The out of control crime rate in Lancaster is making the nutty Mayor more desperate. What happened to the consultants report on everything the Sheriff Dept. is doing wrong in Lancaster. Rex has nothing but contemt for our Deputies and should stop meddling and let them do the job they are trained to do. City Council interference is making public safety worse.
MoralityPoliceOpenUp says
For his next trick, Parris will try to monitor and sanction morality in AirBnB and Uber. “They will get an AirBnB in Lancaster, stay there for the night, get an Uber to Denny’s or some such den of evil, and do unspeakable things. They might even go to IHop!”
Ordinance says
Special interests, political donations, and redevelopment…
Alexis says
In 2009 the Desert Inn was shut down for no-payment of taxes, but that’s not real reason they drove this poor woman out of business. Parris is a Nazi. Wow, just wow!
George Kallas says
Wow, what the heck guys. OK, every hotel asks for a valid ID so no big deal but someone not paying cash is ridiculous. The id is paper trail enough (not that it is the government’s business). Also, I cannot rent more than one room? Really? Why..am I going to have a casino night..wtf? Also, “A guest who appears malnourished or physically abused”..LOL..WOW!!!! Who is going to be the judge of who is malnourished or abused…some friggin hotel worker? Is he going to be the judge of what is appropriate for someones age as well? This law is wayyyy to vague. I thought the AV was a conservative area but this sounds like a liberal move big time!!!
Tim Scott says
Corruption is neither liberal nor conservative, it’s just corruption. A vague law that is basically unenforceable allows for targeting. If Wrecks doesn’t like you, or one of his cronies wants to buy your property on the cheap, then ‘investigators’ perched outside the office can spot a thin customer and demand to know why your desk clerk didn’t report. Then they can go through your books, find a cash transaction, and show that you have a ‘pattern’ of failing to report. You get fined, posted in the paper for “violating the human trafficking ordinance,” and the propaganda machine shifts into higher gears from there.
It has nothing to do with “human trafficking” and everything to do with driving you out of business, either to silence your criticisms or to force you to sell. That’s how corruption in government turns into profits, and the city government in Lancaster have been at it for a very long time.
Voter says
This all came from the brain of Rex. Need anyone say more?
Holy Shit Batman says
Rex is on the right track!
Pass biils, ordinance, or what not … illegals and retards need to leave Lancaster now.
AV supporter says
OMG this is a lawsuit waiting to happen marijuana is recreational so you can’t smoke it at a motel and if they’re feel your dress inappropriately for your age you can’t be there if you pay for a motel in cash is suspicious come on these Motel owners aren’t going to cooperate or else they’re going to go out of business
Tim Scott says
Property grab, plain and simple. Wrecks will be directing his thugs at motels owned by his enemies, and complaints against motels owned by his cronies will be ignored.
Alexis says
Rex Parris and his over the top behavior. Get to bulldozing the Motel 6, E-Z 8, all the motels on Sierra Highway, the motels on Ave. I. I know there are more.