Los Angeles considers 'john letters' to fight prostitution

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles City Hall proposal to send "john letters" to the owners of cars seen in areas known for prostitution is drawing criticism from a California civil liberties group.

The letters would be intended to discourage those who were soliciting prostitutes from returning while posing no harm to those who aren't seeking prostitutes.

The Los Angeles Daily News reported Wednesday that the nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation is questioning police use of license plate information for identification purposes.

The San Francisco-based foundation has an ongoing lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department over the collection of license plate data.

The City Council voted Wednesday to ask the city attorney's office to weigh in.