Cruising down Beach Boulevard last month, in broad daylight just five days before Christmas, he spotted a woman who appeared to be a street prostitute. Clueless about her real identity, the man in the Audi made her an offer in exchange for the sex act:. Men in cars solicited the undercover officers for sex within minutes of them taking turns walking from the motel, past a bus stop and to a corner strip mall.
Chris Cooper said. By the end of the operation, the APD had arrested 11 men the crime they are accused of is a misdemeanor. The task force takes a victim-centered and trauma-informed approach β a stark contrast to how those working in the sex trade were perceived in the past: as criminals. APD Sgt. Juan Revelas, who has run the law enforcement component of OCHTTF since , participated in the John sting, keeping his eyes on the female undercover officers as they strolled down the street and effortlessly attracted potential clients.
Just before 3 p. Street prostitution is one piece of the sex trafficking pie, Cooper explained. Some Johns prefer to hook up with prostitutes over the Internet and meet in high-end hotels. Others prefer to visit illicit massage parlors. Others are out-of-town convention-goers looking for sex. Although Johns hitting up street prostitutes make up only a small percentage of the demand side, the problem impacts residents and businesses, Cooper said. No one wants to see sex negotiations taking place on the street in front of their home or business, he said.
Last summer, on a weekday afternoon, the team raided a nondescript building with a red roof on East Lincoln Avenue. The building thumped with loud music and its shop was finished with a dab room, bath salts, and syringes.
In-addition to narcotics and prostitution, the undercover unit also investigates crimes related to gambling and alcohol. The unit executes important stakeouts and surveillance projects aimed at building a case. It requires monitoring criminal organizations and its enterprises and going undercover.
