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Seattle business owners are resorting to unusual tactics to push back against a troubling rise of prostitution in their neighborhood.
Local stores along the crime-riddled Aurora Ave have started hanging large banners with messages, accompanied by graphic lewd emojis, in hopes of pushing back against people hoping to buy sex in their neighborhood.
Mike Dunn, owner of Dunn Lumber, is among those who installed the attention-grabbing signage, saying his staff have regularly witnessed suspected sex trafficking.
'We are regularly seeing very young girls, mostly unclothed, standing on the corner trying to solicit business,' Dunn told KOMO News.
'And we're hearing gunshots during the day. It's not just at night,' he added.
The effort follows an influx of FIFA World Cup visitors to the area, which anti-trafficking advocates warn could fuel demand for commercial sex and increase exploitation - particularly of underage girls.
The billboard campaign, led by The More We Love and marketing agency DNA&STONE, takes aim at sex trafficking by focusing on sex purchasers rather than those being exploited.
The graphic sign placed in front of the hardware store is designed to be deliberately unnerving, warning potential buyers that there are eyes everywhere.
Mike Dunn, owner of Dunn Lumber, is among those who installed the attention-grabbing signage in front of his Aurora Ave location
The billboard campaign is led by The More We Love and marketing agency DNA&STONE
Residents are terrified and are expressing concern over the influx of prostitution unfolding in their neighborhood
'The only way that actually dissuades people from buying sex is something that indicates they might be caught, something that reminds them that people are actually watching,' Dunn told the outlet.
'So this banner is basically a reminder. They are going to be up around the city and we're participating because we think it might make a difference,' he added.
During Memorial Day weekend, terrified residents in the neighborhood erected barricades outside their homes to combat the recent crimewave.
Amid allegations that socialist Mayor Katie Wilson and Seattle law enforcement have done little to curb the crime spree, homeowners prepared for the Memorial Day weekend by installing concrete and metal barriers.
The makeshift barriers were filled with soil, gravel and logs to block off access to at least three streets, where residents say they have had enough of being targeted by criminals.
Local father Peter Orr said the final straw came after a gang incident earlier this month where at least 40 bullets were sprayed in the streets, shattering windows and peppering homes with families inside.
The graphic signs are designed to be deliberately unnerving, warning potential sex buyers that there are eyes everywhere
Other billboards were installed, this comes as the blue state is facing an influx of visitors for the FIFA World Cup
Terrified residents in the Seattle neighborhood of Aurora Avenue erected barricades outside their homes to combat a recent crimewave in the Blue city
Amid allegations that socialist Mayor Katie Wilson and Seattle law enforcement have done little to curb the crime spree, homeowners in her city have begun to take matters into their own hands
'It’s either this, or bullets in my neighbor’s houses,' Orr told KTVB7 of the barriers.
Critics say Seattle's crime issues spiraled in 2020 when the city council voted to defund its police force, a move that Wilson supported at the time. But with Seattle ranking among the most dangerous cities in America today, residents are demanding a tougher approach to bring sky-high crime rates down.
'It is insane,' resident Rudy Pantoja told Fox News. 'The mayor needs to step up to the plate.'
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