Police in Tampa are ramping up anti-prostitution efforts ahead of next week’s Republican National Convention, which runs Monday through Thursday. An initial sweep of strip clubs led to 16 arrests this past weekend.
Whenever there’s a big event in town, like the Super Bowl, Gasparilla or the upcoming convention, Tampa Assistant Chief of Police John Newman says, prostitutes gravitate to the city. And that raises a big concern for police:
“We want to make sure that we have no juveniles involved in this business, nothing that would indicate human trafficking," he says.
The recent arrests involved women, ages 19 to 61, who solicited undercover officers at strip clubs. Newman says, the department’s also monitoring for escort-level prostitution on Craig's List and other sites.
"And when you start seeing more at hotels that normally aren’t on your radar, then that’s a big indicator," he says.
The increased monitoring will continue throughout the convention, he says.