More than 70 people were arrested in a prostitution sting in downtown D.C. over the weekend, with suspected johns and hookers busted with the help of major hotels. The sting, which Metropolitan Police dubbed “Operation Off the Streets,” took place during a 12-hour stretch over Friday night into Saturday morning.
By 6 a.m., 74 men and women had been arrested and charged with prostitution-related offenses, according to a police listserv posting.
Police said the sting included prostitution arranged online and on the street.
Several major hotels were credited with helping police with the “settings to get the operation completed,” Capt. Aubrey Mongal wrote in his message.
D.C. cops have long battled prostitution downtown, including at local massage parlors. But the participation of local hotels in a sting was unusual.
