Seattle police recently conducted a prostitution sting operation along Aurora Avenue, resulting in nine arrests. The operation targeted men seeking to purchase sex, with no sex workers taken into custody. Authorities plan to conduct similar operations in the future, while also focusing on outreach and providing services to sex workers.
Armstrong Williams tackles the week's top stories and answers your most pressing questions. Don't miss our weekly town hall. FILE - A look at the street signs for North 101st Street and Aurora Avenue North in north Seattle. (KOMO News) A prostitution sting led to nine arrests in Seattle last week, and police say more operations like this are planned.
Officers detained nine men Thursday night along Aurora Avenue and booked them for offenses such as patronizing a prostitute, sexual exploitation, and prostitution loitering. All the individuals arrested were seeking to purchase sex, according to investigators. No sex workers were taken into custody. 'It's really cleaned up quite a bit and it's kind of nice now,' said Dave Wick, a frequent visitor to the area for laundry and errands. The Seattle Police Department's Human Trafficking Unit spearheaded this latest undercover operation. During the sting, police said the men approached an undercover officer and offered to pay for sex acts. A prosecutor with the Seattle City Attorney's Office participated in the operation and will handle the filing decisions for criminal charges. The suspects range in age from 18 to 64 years old and were all booked into jail. Most, if not all, have since been released on their personal recognizance. People who live or work in the area say human trafficking is an ongoing problem and raises significant safety concerns. 'I work at Dunn Lumber just down the street,' said Greg Davis. 'They hang out there a lot and it is a huge concern because they get into fights a lot and it leads to gun fights. It's scary at times. I feel for those ladies that they have to do that for a living.' Seattle police intend to conduct similar operations in the future, but their focus on the sex workers themselves will be on outreach and providing services like emergency shelter and diversion services. 'I'm glad they made arrests. That's nice. We see the girls and I feel sorry for them,' said Kathy Tinoco, who was at a strip mall along Aurora Ave. 'They look cold. I'm not sure they are there because they want to be there and so I worry. I'm a mom.
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