How One Street Hooked the Prostitution Trade

These days, street prostitutes in San Diego rove around one street in particular: El Cajon Boulevard.

But why?

Keegan Kyle, our data-analysis expert, examined police statistics from the past year and found that the vast majority of 588 prostitution arreststook place around 30th Street and El Cajon Boulevard.

He then set out to find out why, cobbling together the history of prostitution on the boulevard, why it became San Diego’s hub and efforts to reduce the problem.

In other news:

• Yesterday, the city of San Diego’s CFO shocked an audience when she announced municipal departments — including police and fire — will be asked to submit proposals about how to slash 20-25 percent from their budgets. “Jesus,” muttered one onlooker.

  “Everything is on the table,” said just about everybody else, employing a metaphor that must be getting exhausted from overuse.

  Decisions are expected in December.

• Also on our site: The flashily dressed man whose company now owns the U-T tells a Boston reporter that “the last thing we want is people thinking we’re coming in to screw up the community, make a few bucks, and then leave.” Platinum Equity CEO Tom Gores also says his group is “definitely making progress” at the paper. …

  The U.S. Supreme Court tackled a case that’s almost exactly like the Mt. Soledad cross case (yes, it’s still tied up in the court system) but might not affect it. …

  San Diego State’s plan to give less priority to local students is getting bad reviews and a new school board candidate made a boo-boo. …

  And SDG&E will hold “collaborative meetings” to discuss the hot topic of fire prevention. Considering the unpopularity of the power company’s fight-fire-with-power-outages plan, they may be more like yell-at-SDG&E meetings.

• In commentary, columnist James Goldsborough tackles “immigration idiocy.” … Guest blogger Vince Vasquez, senior policy analyst with National University’s Institute for Policy Research, says residents can help tackle the city’s budget mess.
• Elsewhere: The San Diego County Taxpayers Association issued a 52-page report calling for public employees to pay for more of their pensions, among other things. (NCT) … Sea World has a new owner. … The mayor wants the City Council to pick from a list of 27 locations for the winter homeless shelter, but his office acknowledges many aren’t feasible, and a motel voucher program doesn’t appear to be possible either. (CityBeat) … And in a surprise move that could save San Diego $1.5 billion, “the California Coastal Commission Wednesday voted 8-4 to give San Diego its third exemption from pollution standards set by the federal Clean Water Act.” (U-T)
• Finally, I got several responses to my question yesterday about why San Diego’s numbered roads are both “avenues” and “streets,” depending on where they are.

  We’re out of space, so look for more on this topic later. But first, some street-naming trivia: Why is there a Xenophon Street in Point Loma? If you’re the first one to e-mail me the correct answer, I’ll mention your name in this space, and you’ll have a brief, shining moment of fame.

— RANDY DOTINGA