(CNN) — Nearly 200 arrests for sex trafficking and related crimes have been made in New York in operations leading up to Sunday’s Super Bowl, law enforcement officials say.
New York Police Department vice units trained in dealing with sex trafficking and prostitution have converged on certain parts of the city in the last two weeks, conducting both street busts and high-end, undercover call girl stings to try and curtail some of the sex trafficking business in anticipation of the Super Bowl.
The 200 arrests are in line with the number of arrests made in previous sweeps in New York, according to police Det. James Duffy.
For years, federal and local authorities have been concerned about increased prostitution around major sporting events such as the Super Bowl.
The NYPD and the Federal Bureau of Investigation say they’re dedicating more resources to the issue and have been working cases to target traffickers who victimize young women and men in the sex trade.
Most of the operation has focused on johns and sex traffickers. The police department has stressed that in most cases, they treat sex workers as victims.
