Tampa police target prostitution

TAMPA - Police say they are cracking down on drugs and prostitution as part of a 30-day initiative.

Friday night, they set up a prostitution sting along Nebraska Avenue. Undercover female officers posed as prostitutes. It took less than 30 seconds for a man in a truck to stop. He circled the block several times, before finally trying to seal the deal with the undercover officer. He was arrested.

Sgt. John Haggard says prostitution is a well-known problem on Nebraska Avenue. He says police are continuously combating it.

"We usually get several complaints a night. Nebraska has historically been known for its prostitutes over the years. So we try and stay on top of it as the complaints come in. Tonight, we're actually taking a proactive approach to it, going out and trying to pick up the people who pick up prostitutes," he explained.

Haggard says Thursday night, male officers posed as Johns trying to pick up prostitutes. Four prostitutes were arrested.