Also known as “Your Tax Dollars at Work”, Austin, Texas’ own KEYE news reports on the latest and greatest of Sting Operations out of Dallas:
Since January, arrests in sting operations featuring female officers posing as prostitutes are up 300 percent citywide. In the first nine months of 2005, there were about 141 arrests from sting operations; in the same period this year, there were 565.
I don’t practice criminal defense in Dallas, but I’ve seen the bill to the public for Austin prostitution sting operations (e.g., here, and here for some APD news releases), and let me tell you: they get expensive. I’m a believer that the State has a legitimate interest in regulating and perhaps decreasing prostitution.
But perhaps it’s one of those things like our so called War on Drugs: regulation would probably work better than criminalization.
First time convictions for Prostitution in Texas are classified as Class B Misdemeanors, second and third convictions are enhanced to Class A, and a fourth conviction rises to the level of a State Jail Felony.
Well, I've figured out how their stings work after hearing from a large number of men who actually told the decoys "no" but were subsequently arrested anyway by officers nearby. They just arrest every man the women speak to; doesn't matter what the man says. Nice little money maker, isn't it.
No offense, but I suppose a lawyer really doesn't have an interest in stopping this sort of blatent crap since your profession also profits from it, but it would certainly be nice if someone did. Guess I'll just have to settle for sending an editorial to the local nooze.
Hi,
I agree that prostitution is wrong, but I also disagree with you all posing DPD female police officers as prostitutes. Attractive women will always attract men. However, your DPD female prostitutes will approach a possible customer, flirt with him, ask him what he's looking for, in other words she would entice him. Unfortunately the very minute money is mentioned, you guys slap hand cuffs on him, WRONG!!!! How about the bitch that was doing all the enticing?
That's totally wrong but for some reason you guys find that to be a good arrest, how sad is that.
Elgin Edmonds
what are the laws pertaining to undercover police agents posing as prostitutes? if you ask them and they deny being a cop, is that protection for you? what information can you get upfront that would protect you?