"Police have arrested 16 men in a prostitution sting in which they posted an ad for sex on Craigslist.org." "Craigslist prostitution sting nets 8 arrests." "10 men arrested. The department launched the sting using an advertisement for "sexual activities" on the online classified site Craigslist.org." I see one of these stories every few hours, every day — and recognize them for what they are: Your local police department's press releases. Here's how it goes when law enforcement go laptop to laptop with prostitutes, in your neighborhood!

Cops pose as clients, set dates, show up. They may even fuck — it's actually legal for a vice officer to have sex as part of their job. The prostitutes are arrested, their names and photos sent to the local press. After a night in jail, they're out again, even more likely to head back to Craigslist to pay off the bail they just had to post. What remains long after they've been released from custody: news reports with their face and legal name, pats on the back to the city or county cops for another job well done, and see you ladies to do this again next week.

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