Abstract
In early 2006, the Sacramento Police Department changed the focus of its Vice Unit's enforcement efforts from adult street prostitutes to juvenile prostitutes and pimps. The unit soon determined that a large percentage of the girls they arrested were runaways, particularly runaways from foster care. Current California law prohibits the secure detention of runaways, an unintentional consequence of which is recidivist runaways. This thesis is a case study of the Police Department's effort to combat and reduce female juvenile prostitution, an effort that produced surprising information about the number of runaways in Sacramento. To further frame the issue and provide comparison data, I analyzed national, state (California), and local (Sacramento) crime statistics involving runaways and female juvenile prostitution. Although runaways have decreased in the nation and in California, runaways in Sacramento have increased. Arrests for juvenile prostitution across America spiked in 2004, and have remained level since. California, leading the nation with over 50% of all arrests for juvenile prostitution, can be considered fertile ground for female juvenile prostitution. The paper concludes with broad policy alternatives that local and state government should consider, including recommended strategies for law enforcement, child welfare workers, and policymakers. These strategies have the ability to mitigate the problem of runaways and teenage prostitution.