The Tuscaloosa Police Department announced a major sex-crime on its Facebook page today. As part of a national effort, the TPD participated in the National Johns Suppression Initiative in July, resulting in over 30 prostitution-related arrests.
This initiative was originated in 2011 by Tom Dart, the Sheriff of Cook County, Illinois. This nationally recognized movement has grown over the years with law enforcement agencies from around the country conducting stings in the month of July.
The TPD’s post says the results of this year’s sting in the Tuscaloosa area alone are as follows:
• 31 arrested for Solicitation
• Two arrested for Traveling to Meet a Child for an Unlawful Sex Act
• Three arrested for Unlawful Possession of Marijuana Second Degree,
• Two arrested for Unlawful Possession of Marijuana First Degree
• Unlawful Possession of Forged Instrument, to-wit: counterfeit money and four seizures of firearms.
The TPD said, “Although all agencies have not reported their stats, the City of Tuscaloosa is the only city in Alabama or the Southeast that participated with a record number of arrests from a four-day investigation.”
The Northport Police Department partnered with Tuscaloosa Police Department Code Enforcement Unit in their sting operation, which was assisted by a local hotel providing a location for officers to conduct the investigation.
The prostitutes themselves also suffer all types of abuse at the hands of the johns and the pimps. One study showed that Eighty percent of the women interviewed had suffered physical violence from pimps and johns, and endured similar and multiple health effects from the violence and sexual exploitation, regardless of whether the women were trafficked internationally or were in local prostitution.
