(Hartford)
– On Tuesday, November 25, 2003, Detectives from the Hartford Police
Department’s Vice and Narcotics Division along with Officers from
the North District Community Response Division, conducted a
Prostitution operation targeting street level Prostitutes and
persons patronizing Prostitutes, aka “Johns”. This
operation took place in the Ashley and Huntington Street area, a
well-known hot spot for this type of activity.
The
operation was conducted with a two tier approach by first arresting
all persons involved in Prostitution at the location, then posting
an undercover Detective posing as a Prostitute. This
“Reverse Sting” netted 35 arrests, 15 of which were for Patronizing
a Prostitute, and the towing of all vehicles involved in the
Patronizing of a Prostitute. Under state law, vehicles used in the
Patronizing of a Prostitute can be towed and impounded for a 48-hour
period. The City of Hartford utilizes several towing
companies, including Whitey’s, 305 West Service Road, Hartford,
Metro Towing, 722 Wethersfield Avenue, Hartford, and Corona’s, 608
Wethersfield Avenue, Hartford. Of the 15 arrested for Patronizing a
Prostitute, 8 were from outside of Hartford, from towns such as
Avon, Bristol, Berlin, Tolland, East and West Hartford.
The names and addresses of the arrestees will be posted on
the HPD’s website,
www.Hartford.gov,
click on Police News.
The Sting
Operation also resulted in the serving of six outstanding arrest
warrants.
In
commenting on the operation, Vice and Narcotics Commander Lieutenant
Harold Even stated, “We are going to be relentless in our efforts to
rid our neighborhoods of this illegal activity which impacts
everyone living in the city. With this operation,
those individuals patronizing prostitutes in the City of Hartford
are put on notice that we are watching, and if you choose to come
into the Hartford to patronize a prostitute, or buy or sell drugs,
you will be arrested.
Attached is
a listing of those arrested and their charges.
The
Hartford Police Department asks for the community’s support in its
investigations by calling its confidential tip hot line, 525-GUNS
(525-4867). The HPD assures that all information will
be kept in the strictest of confident.
End.
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