The NYPD says that they have lost patience with sex trafficking in the Big Apple and are raiding brothels in short order.
The first of the unannounced sieges began with a slew of alleged prostitution houses in Corona, Queens on Thursday following community complaints that the illicit businesses have been running rampant in the bustling business strip.
Families and other onlookers watched in shock as a legion of police officers swarmed some seven businesses for masquerading as massage parlors. As the convoy of cops rolled along Roosevelt Avenue, one of the workers scrambled to lock off the massage parlor’s doors, leading to authorities smashing through the glass to gain access to the premises.
“For this community and the rest of the communities in the city: no more — closed by court order. No more, we’re done with this,” NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said.
This came after Mayor Eric Adams and police brass convened and surveyed the area during the early hours of the morning where they discovered just how prevalent prostitution has become.
“Sex trafficking is real, and these horrid conditions make it clear why the New York City Police Department is not going to sit idly by and pretend that it does not happen,” Adams said.
The NYPD task force was briefed at 115 Precinct on the operation earlier that afternoon by Mayor Adams, Chief Chell, and NYPD Assistant Commissioner Kaz Daughtry where they outlined the takedowns. After the briefing, it took cops mere minutes to zoom out of the station house with their lights flashing before they struck the first alleged brothel at 95-07 Roosevelt Avenue.
Mayor Adams plastered the first closure notice just outside the doorway as cops marched back and forth.
“We will do everything within the law to shut you down. If you open up again, under a different name. We’re going to repeat the process again, come back and shut you down again,” Commissioner Daughtry warned brothel operators. “This is unacceptable. The residents here have spoken.”
Police report they shut down some seven locations in Corona, Queens on Jan. 25 and say they are prepared to hit more locations.
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