Seattle proposal aims to tackle crime and prostitution on Aurora Avenue

SEAT – Seattle officials say they’ve had enough of the violence and sexual exploitation in the city’s north end, particularly Aurora Avenue.

Seattle City Council members are expected to introduce plans Tuesday to tackle gangs and prostitution along the notorious road.

The new proposed law would hold pimps and clients accountable and punish them as severely as possible. The bill would also seek to rescue women who are victims of sex trafficking through diversion programs and resources.

In 2020, Seattle City Council repealed its long-standing prostitution ordinance. Since then, city officials have reported that dangerous gangs have infiltrated the northern part of the city.

According to police, one sex worker can earn a pimp in Aurora up to $7,000 a night.

There are also serious concerns about gun violence in the area.

Between May and July 2024, Seattle police reported 30 shootings in North Seattle along Aurora Avenue. That’s about one shooting every two days.

According to researchers, they target children and recruit children from local middle schools and even some high schools.

Seattle City Councilwoman Cathy Moore’s proposal targets people who hang out in the neighborhood looking for sex, or gangs who hang out in the neighborhood.

The proposal goes so far as to ban convicted offenders from returning to the sex crime hot spot on Aurora. It would allow judges to issue a “Stay Out of Area Prostitution” order.

For sex workers, Moore’s proposal offers diversionary options instead of prison sentences.

“It will provide a lasting deterrent to these criminal activities,” Moore said.

If the law passes, Seattle police would be required to provide mandatory training to their officers on how to deal with victims of sex trafficking.

The Public Safety Committee will hold its second hearing on the proposal on Tuesday morning.