Eleven men seeking the companionship of women they believed to be prostitutes found themselves in jail during a police sting operation in Hawthorne, officers said Thursday. Hawthorne police conducted the five-hour operation Wednesday because of complaints about the perennial quality-of-life issue on Imperial, Hawthorne police Lt. Scott Swain said. Three policewomen were deployed during the sting, each working the sidewalk separately.
Men drove up and stopped to chat with the women, all under the eyes of police officers watching nearby. After the men arranged a deal, parked their cars and walked with the women to nearby motel rooms, they found officers inside waiting to arrest them, Swain said. Police officers have cracked down on prostitution during the last year on Imperial Highway.
A similar operation last year also resulted in 11 arrests. But police also have concentrated on arresting women suspected of walking the streets as prostitutes. Women who violate the orders are subject to arrest, Swain said.
They are just not allowed to be there. By Larry Altman laltman32 gmail. More in News.
