Paterson prostitution crackdown yields 50 arrests, police say | Paterson Times Paterson Times

Paterson prostitution crackdown yields 50 arrests, police say

By Jonathan Greene
Published: July 4, 2019

paterson-police

The police arrested 50 men and women on Tuesdays in their latest prostitution crackdown in the area of East 18th and Van Houten streets.

Police received complaints from area residents that alleged prostitutes were soliciting sex from people walking and driving in the area in exchange for money at various times during the day and night.

In two phases, police posed as “johns” and prostitutes to arrest those involved in the sex trade.

In the first phase, detectives posed as “johns” and were solicited by women loitering in the area.

Police arrested 16 women in the crack down. 8 were Paterson residents and the rest were from Freehold, Wanaque, Mahwah, Prospect Park, Westville, Lakewood, Passaic City, and Hackensack.

In the second phase, detectives posed as prostitutes. Police arrested 34 men for trying to solicit sex from undercover officers. 24 of those arrested were Paterson residents and the rest were from Hackensack, New York City, Englewood, Woodridge, Haledon, Passaic City, Totowa, and Edgewater.

Police said 14 were prostitutes, 27 were johns, and 9 were arrested for obstruction of governmental function charges.

Police confiscated a jar of 49 grams of Phencyclidine (PCP) in the operation.

The operation was conducted by the Paterson Police ABC/Vice unit, Paterson Police Department Narcotics Division, Passaic County Prosecutors Office-Human Trafficking Unit, and the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department.

Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office provided counselors for the women arrested on prostitution charges for human tracking and substance abuse services.


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