Bell : 34 Arrested in Prostitution Sweep Along Florence Ave.
Using female officers as decoys, police arrested 34 people Tuesday for soliciting acts of prostitution along Florence Avenue in Bell. About 15 Bell police officers and Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies were involved in the operation, Bell Chief of Police Jim Edwards said.
The operation resulted from complaints by owners of motels and other Florence Avenue businesses between Atlantic Avenue and Walker Street. Nearby residents also have complained to police that prostitutes conduct business in cars parked in front of family homes. During the nine-hour sting, 29 men were arrested after allegedly propositioning two women police officers posing as prostitutes. Five women were arrested after allegedly indicating to police surveillance officers that they were available for sexual favors.
All 34 were issued citations charging them with soliciting acts of prostitution, a misdemeanor punishable by a $500 fine or up to one year in prison, Edwards said.
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