Salinas business organization looks to drive pimps and hoes out of town.

Along commercial side streets about a mile from Salinas’ downtown lies the county’s hot bed for prostitution.

Women aren’t typically standing on the street corner with knee-high boots, but male drivers routinely circle streets such as East Alisal, Rianda, Griffin and Kern to support the world’s oldest profession.

Monterey County’s largest city, however, may soon be unwelcome for a ring of prostitutes. Following the lead of cities like Portland and Honolulu, the Salinas United Business Association (SUBA), an East Salinas merchant’s group, is trying to establish a prostitution-free zone that aims to prevent arrested johns from becoming repeat customers.

“My idea is to raise the cost of doing business in Salinas for the pimps and prostitutes, to make it more attractive to go to another town,” says Dave Brown, SUBA’s president.

Upon the request of Councilwoman Gloria De La Rosa, the Salinas City Attorney’s Office is researching what legal options the agricultural city has to create prostitution-free zones.

By the end of the month, City Attorney Vanessa Vallarta says her office will report its findings to the City Council.