From:               Hannibal Police Department

Date:                February 1, 2017

Phone:             573-221-0987

Fax:                 573-221-3966

Contact:          Chief Lyndell Davis/Lt. John Zerbonia

 

HPD Arrest 33 for Patronizing of Prostitution

 

During the month of January Hannibal Police officers assigned to the Anti-Crime Enforcement Squad (ACES) conducted investigations into patronizing of prostitution.  A total of 33 individuals were arrested after soliciting for sexual services.  Prostitution which is frequently used as a means to purchase narcotics inevitably becomes a driving force in increasing the illegal drug trade locally.  “It is imperative that we tackle this issue before it becomes well established” said Chief Lyndell Davis.  “This is an issue area wide but once we started developing information prostitutes were setting up shop in Hannibal we started investigating it and making arrests in the later part of 2016.  Several of the prostitutes we had identified in Hannibal started to move back to the neighboring cities were they originated from after we started our enforcement.  It became clear however, that those providing the prostitution services would eventually move back once they thought we were no longer looking into it.  The decision was made to begin actively investigating those who patronize prostitution services with the belief that it would serve as more of a deterrent and prevent it from becoming well established in the community.  In combating illegal drug distribution you need to attack it from different angles and understand all the different ways it is funded and do what you can to lessen or stop that revenue stream”.