Sarasota Prostitution Crackdown Continues

If you’re buying or selling sex, you’re not welcome in Sarasota.

That’s the message behind a recently released public service announcement created by the Sarasota Police Department. The force has been cracking down on prostitution throughout the city over the past year and it wants buyers and sellers to know their brand of business just isn’t welcome here.

Since November 2013, the agency has arrested 73 people for soliciting prostitutes, an email from the police department said.

In the recently released video, Sgt. Demetri Konstantopoulos of the Street Crimes Unit explains how prostitution can negatively impact the community. It can cause the destruction of families, a decline in property value, hurt tourism and increase drug-related activity and crime, the department said in the email.

“It’s another tool for us to use from our tool box for the fight against prostitution,” Konstantopoulos was quoted in the email as saying. “The Sarasota Police Department continues a No Tolerance stance on prostitution. The City of Sarasota is beautiful place and community members are continuing to revitalize the North Trail. We’re trying to change to reputation of the North Trail and in order to do that we’re going to take drastic measures to deter prostitution in our city.”

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Photo Credit: YouTube screenshot