The sting, which was initiated by Sgt. Allan Lanier, was the direct result of citizen complaints regarding prostitution in various locations throughout the city of Griffin.
“I believe that, so far, our operation has been successful due to the initial amount of arrests.”
Lanier utilized the tactic of using a decoy prostitute in the areas where there had been complaints.
Each of the eight men approached the decoy and allegedly committed the act of pandering, resulting in their arrest by the SIU/TRU officers.
“We also made other charges on some of the suspects for drug possession and alcohol charges,” Lanier said.
The operation was halted the first night, June 15, following only two arrests when Officer Tishe Dyer was injured.
At the time of the second arrest, Dyer was pinned between two moving vehicles. She was transported to Spalding Regional Medical Center, where she was treated for her injuries and discharged the following morning.
Dyer returned to work Monday and is on light duty.
“We were really upset when Officer Dyer was hurt,” said Unit Commander Lt. Mike Richardson. “She is a valuable member of our unit that can find a compromise between aggressive investigations and common sense in her work.”
“Pandering is committed when a person solicits a person to perform an act of prostitution in his or her own behalf or on behalf of a third person, or when he or she knowingly assembles persons at a fixed place for the purpose of being solicited by others to perform an act of prostitution,” TRU Officer Bryan Clanton said. “It is a crime which leads to other interrelated crimes such as drug abuse, theft and violent assaults on people.”
The eight suspects will be appearing July 26, before Judge Ronald Cook.
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