ANAHEIM : 80 Arrested in Prostitution Sweep

A weekend sweep of prostitution activity along a portion of Beach Boulevard led to 80 arrests, police said Monday.

Sixty-one men were arrested on suspicion of soliciting undercover officers for sexual acts, and 15 women were arrested on suspicion of prostitution during the sweep Friday and Saturday, Police Lt. Jim Flammini said.

Two men were arrested on suspicion of assault and resisting arrest, and a third person was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. One man was arrested on suspicion of indecent exposure.

Everyone arrested was taken to the department’s detention cells, where many were cited and released after booking. Others, with warrants or no identification, were detained pending court appearances.

Garden Grove and Buena Park police assisted with the operation, which involved about 35 officers, Flammini said. The sweep was part of a campaign to deter prostitution in the Beach Boulevard-West Lincoln Avenue corridor and was in response to complaints by residents and merchants about prostitution activity.

Flammini said the operation was among the most successful in number of arrests. He said the sweeps average about 70 arrests, but noted, “We could get 180 if we stayed long enough.”

“We’re not going to eradicate this situation, but we are going to keep it under control,” Flammini said, adding that officers made their first arrest each night in a matter of minutes. “We’re not talking about a real lack of clientele.”