Oakland Seeks Last Call at “Prostitution Motel” Near Lake Merritt

A longtime "hub of prostitution and child sex trafficking" will be attacked by Oakland city lawyers -- in court.

Oakland wants to shut down the Economy Inn at 122 E. 12th Street near Lake Merritt, according to the Oakland Tribune.

The motel's been under video surveillance since 2010, when the motel's owners, who were not named, were first sued by the city under a law requiring hotel-keepers to prevent prostitution at their properties. But Oakland says it doesn't have the resources to monitor the cameras, so it's asking a judge to shut down the motel via court order for at least a year, according to the newspaper.

The cameras "have helped reduce violations," according to the newspaper.

Oakland also wants to shut down the National Lodge, on International Boulevard and East 17th Street, for the same reasons, according to the newspaper.

City Attorney Barbara Parker explained her office's actions: "No community in Oakland should have to live with the sex trade as a routine part of their lives."