San Francisco Prostitution: Police launch new ‘Dear John’ program, allowing people to report sex work with photos [Video]

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — A new effort by San Francisco police aims to curb illegal sex work by targeting customers, not sex workers.

The Dear John Letters campaign urges civilians to get involved and works partially due to the element of shame.

“There were hundreds of sex workers walking the streets. There were pimps and Johns and the traffic was bumper to bumper,” said one resident of the Mission ABC7 News spoke with last year in regards to the prostitution along Capp and Shotwell Streets.

Prostitution problems have plagued certain San Francisco neighborhoods for years and efforts, such as concrete barriers to prevent the activity along Shotwell Street, have failed time and time again.

RELATED: New street barriers aiming to deter sex work causing slew of safety issues in SF neighborhood

“I think they suck, and they’re an inconvenience,” said another man in ABC7’s previous coverage.

Metal barriers were even installed along Capp Street. Not …