A nonprofit organization that advocates for people sold in the sex trade has condemned a multi-agency operation that seeks to crackdown on prostitution with many of the arrests being people in prostitution rather than sex traffickers and buyers.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said local law enforcement — primarily Grand Canyon University police — arrested 22 individuals near 27 th Avenue between Indian School and Bethany Home roads on Nov. 5 and 6 — a strip of Phoenix commonly referred to as “The Blade.” Most, if not all of the individuals were charged with misdemeanor prostitution.

See Full Page