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Written by Christina Merino | cmerino@scng.com

After years of the community bringing attention to the issue and city efforts to resolve it, Long Beach leaders and staff are revisiting ways to address human trafficking and other public safety concerns along the Long Beach Boulevard corridor in North Long Beach.

City staffers released a memo last month that lays out the efforts that have been used in the past to combat this long-standing issue, as well as what needs to be enacted in the future. That includes establishing an interdepartmental city team to oversee all of the anti-human trafficking city programs and initiatives, within the scope of current city resources.

Addressing the human trafficking and public safety concerns along the corridor – near several businesses, homes and elementary schools – is being spearheaded by Councilmembers Tunua Thrash-Ntuk and Joni Ricks-Oddie.

The councilmembers have partnered with community leaders to host a series of community-focused events designed to build a new, comprehensive five-year strategic plan that tackles the issue. The first event, a town hall meeting, is scheduled for next month.

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“The challenges on our streets are symptoms of a deeper, more complex issue: human trafficking is a public health crisis, not just a crime problem,” Thrash-Ntuk said in a statement. “My colleague, Councilwoman Joni Ricks-Oddie, and I are uniting our community to provide the leadership this moment demands. We are committed to moving our city beyond short-term fixes toward long-term, healing-centered solutions.”

In April, the City Council directed the City Manager to coordinate with all relevant city departments and return with a comprehensive report assessing the city’s current strategic framework to address human trafficking and public safety concerns in North Long Beach. The request also asked for proposals to strengthen and enhance that framework moving forward, such as current programs, barriers to more effectively counter these activities, regional coordination with other jurisdictions, updating ordinances, and identifying state and federal legislation that focuses on enhancing enforcement tools, according to the memo.

The Aug. 28 memo provided both an assessment of existing efforts and potential opportunities for further strategic investment. It also covered background, local and regional partnerships, gaps and challenges, opportunities for legislative advocacy, and council-requested focus areas.

Commercial sex operations have been identified as a persistent concern along Long Beach Boulevard, but are not isolated to North Long Beach, according to city staff. Neighboring jurisdictions such as Compton and Lynwood have reported similar challenges, underscoring the need for coordinated regional strategies and cross-jurisdictional partnerships.

“My office has already been engaged in planning and partnerships with the cities of Compton and Lynwood,” Ricks-Oddie said. “We have met multiple times with representatives from each city, including Compton Mayor Emma Sharif and now Lynwood Mayor Rita Soto, to discuss ways that we can better coordinate enforcement on the corridor and jointly advocate for legislative action at the state level.”

Preliminary data from the Long Beach Police Department indicates a marked increase in service calls pertaining to the issue, rising from 126 calls between Jan. 1 and July 4, 2024, to 453 during the corresponding period in 2025, according to city staff.

Community testimonies, the memo says, reveal a pattern of distress and disruption tied to the visibility and prevalence of prostitution and trafficking in the area. Residents have reported that the presence of sex work along public corridors, particularly near schools and residential zones, has compromised the mental health of families and diminished overall neighborhood quality of life.

Long Beach City Councilmembers Tunua Thrash-Ntuk and Joni Ricks-Oddie will be hosting a town hall on Saturday, Oct. 18, to gather community input on how to address human trafficking and public safety concerns along Long Beach Boulevard in North Long Beach. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

In the past, Long Beach has tried to address this complex issue in different ways, including legal guidance, survivor support, enforcement, outreach, and environmental design, through cross-departmental collaboration, according to the memo.

The Health and Human Services, for example, has led trauma-informed programs focused on prevention and care. The Police Department and 9-1-1 dispatch play frontline roles in enforcement and emergency response, and the Business License Division supports inspections and regulatory compliance. Community Development has led the efforts around Nuisance Motel Regulation and Alcohol Abatement.

Long Beach’s Economic Development Department has even conducted a walk-along in June, covering the stretch between Long Beach and Artesia Boulevards, where the team interviewed approximately 20 businesses, asking local owners about the lived realities affecting their operations, safety, and ability to thrive in the current environment.

In gathering testimonies along this corridor – home to a variety of small, immigrant-owned businesses such as auto shops, barbershops, and service-based storefronts – Economic Development staff found that the majority of businesses expressed serious concerns related to visible sex work and human trafficking occurring nearby, according to the memo. Some of the most prevalent issues expressed included: witnessing sexual acts and drug activities, concerns about daytime prostitution being visible to children, increases in shoplifting and loitering at their stores, and fears of retaliation for reporting incidents.

One business owner shared, “We’ve invested in this community, but it’s hard to keep the doors open when what’s happening outside drives people away.”

The walkthrough also revealed patterns in the physical environment that may signal deeper issues. Staff said that they observed that many suspected locations were storefronts disguised as legitimate businesses. In particular, barbershops and massage parlors were flagged as potential sites of commercial sex operations due to their opaque appearance, such as blacked-out windows, lack of signage, and minimal foot traffic or public accessibility.

Economic Development remains actively engaged along Long Beach Boulevard, according to Chelsey Magallon, spokesperson for the department. They will continue to conduct targeted business outreach and corridor walks in partnership with Long Beach Police, Code Enforcement, and community-based groups. Currently, they expect to keep these walks at regular intervals throughout the fall, with timing informed by field conditions and coordination with public safety partners. The focus is on sustained visibility and building trust so that owners, workers, and residents feel comfortable reporting concerns.

“These walks provide a valuable opportunity to connect with business owners, hear their concerns directly, and demonstrate the city’s support,” Ricks-Oddie said. “Many business owners expressed their appreciation for the city’s presence and the sense of partnership it brings.”

The city staff’s report also outlined a range of potential opportunities to address human trafficking and associated public safety impacts, which would require additional resources, staffing, and council direction to advance.

Recommendations include aggressively supporting state and federal legislation; exploring a structural budget enhancement for the creation of a dedicated Human Trafficking Program Team; strengthening interdepartmental coordination; continuing corridor, business and neighborhood engagement efforts; pursuing and strengthening regional and cross-sector partnerships; extending the Safe Passages Program; improving ordinances; and accelerating Long Beach Boulevard improvements, among others.

The City Council has already taken a step toward addressing the issue by approving $150,000 in anti-human trafficking corridor funding as part of the fiscal year 2026 budget, which was approved earlier this month. This allocation is part of a broader investment of Economic Redevelopment Proceeds, generated from former redevelopment agency land sales, which aims to support inclusive economic development and neighborhood revitalization across Long Beach.

The funding will be used in three strategic focus areas: environmental deterrence, community activation, and education and awareness, according to city staff.

At this time, there is no set date for a Council presentation on the topic, said Deputy City Manager Grace Yoon. However, the City Council may choose to request or agendize a discussion on the report and its recommended actions.

The Council’s request for this report was an important first step in raising awareness, documenting existing efforts, and identifying challenges and next steps, Yoon said. As noted in the report, Council could consider directing staff to prioritize or conduct feasibility analyses, allocate or identify resources to support implementation, and adjust direction based on available capacity.

“The recent memo lays out several potential action steps,” Ricks-Oddie said, “and I plan to work closely with city staff to ensure we pursue every avenue necessary to sustain progress on this issue, including allocating the funding needed to properly staff these initiatives.”

Councilmember Thrash-Ntuk echoed similar sentiments of taking forward steps toward addressing human trafficking and public safety concerns.

“The city’s recent reports reflect important foundational work, and my focus is on building upon that to create our future,” Thrash-Ntuk said. “We are moving from discussing tactics to building a comprehensive, long-term strategy.”

The councilmembers will begin hosting community meetings next month to gather testimonies and create a framework for action. The first meeting will be on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 9:30 a.m. to noon at  Starr King Elementary School, 145 E. Artesia Blvd. Community members can RSVP at bit.ly/D9Townhall.

The city leaders, in collaboration with the Long Beach Human Trafficking Task Force and its fiscal agent, Covenant House, will work on creating a survivor-informed, data-driven five-year plan to address North Long Beach residents’ and businesses’ concerns.

“We are shifting from managing a crisis to strategically dismantling it,” Thrash-Ntuk added. “By uniting our city’s resources, expertise, and community voices, we will build a model of effective and compassionate action that can lead the entire region.”