BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS Police arrest...

BRIEFLY IN

THE NEWS

Police arrest five in prostitution roundup

The Costa Mesa Police Department’s efforts to crack down on

prostitution paid off Monday night when officials netted a handful of

arrests.

Five arrests were made in the areas of Harbor and MacArthur

boulevards, said Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Robert Phillips.

Officials said they noticed a slight increase in prostitution last

week and decided to more actively pursue suspects before residents

started complaining, he said.

“We were out there looking for prostitutes, and we found

prostitutes,” said Phillips, who serves as the department’s sergeant

of vice. “When we experience warm weather, the activity on the street

is a little more prevalent.”

Phillips said the suspects appear to be a combination of “circuit

girls” -- who hang out in Costa Mesa one week and somewhere else the

next -- and locals.

Officials have been trying to deter prostitution by harshly

treating the women arrested, taking their clothes as evidence and

giving them paper jumpsuits to wear instead.