To strengthen the fight against human trafficking in San Diego, Mayor Todd Gloria's administration has put support behind two legislative bills aimed at bolstering law enforcement capabilities and assisting victims. Assembly Bill 63 and Assembly Bill 379, introduced to the state Legislature and sponsored by Gloria's administration, provide new measures to clamp down on sex traffickers and to create a fund aiding community organizations that support sex trafficking survivors.

The proposed Assembly Bill 63, penned by Assemblymember Michelle Rodriguez of Chino, would outlaw loitering with the intent to engage in prostitution. On the other hand, Assembly Bill 379, introduced by Assemblymember Maggy Krell from Sacramento, intends to directly support victims by establishing a fund for community groups and ensuring stricter laws against the purchase of sex from minors. "The unfortunate truth is that San Diego has seen a sharp increase in prostitution and human trafficking in the past few years, harming people and the communities where loitering is concentrated," Mayor Gloria said, according to a report by the City of San Diego.

The introduction of these pieces of legislation is seen as a counteractive response to the effects followed by Senate Bill 357, passed in 2022, which made it more difficult for police to probe activities tied to sexual exploitation. The decriminalization of loitering for prostitution through SB 357 is believed to have contributed to an uptick in prostitution and related crimes within the city. Figures from the San Diego Police Department indicate an increase in the number of individuals involved in prostitution daily, jumping from an average of four to eight before SB 357 to between twelve and thirty individuals after SB 357's enactment.

Mayor Gloria's stance is reinforced by San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl, who acknowledged the trauma inflicted upon victims of sex trafficking. "Public safety is a shared responsibility, and we commend Mayor Gloria for supporting the proposed legislation," Chief Wahl told the City of San Diego. Wahl added that the bills would serve as critical tools for the police to step in, offer aid, and, in certain cases, rescue individuals from the grip of violence and criminal actions tied to trafficking.