FORT SMITH - There's an entire unit at the Fort Smith Police Department dedicated to keeping the streets of Fort Smith clean. Their sting operations have netted hundreds of people in the past few years. We're told the unit has made almost 300 arrests at Fort Smith park alone since their start in 2005.
The public park has become a hotspot for homosexual activity. Prostitution is also a problem that plagues the city and one that isn't limited to a particular location. "Just when I think I've seen it all there's something that comes along that you know causes me to raise an eyebrow," an undercover officer told 5NEWS.
Even officers with the street crimes unit aren't jaded when it comes to this type of activity. In the past few weeks the team has arrested six men for loitering along the walking trails at Fort Smith park. In other parts of the city, they've taken two prostitutes into custody.
"We've also made one arrest for promising prostitution this was kind of an internet connected case we had received a complaint that a guy was handing out business cards," Sgt. Levi Risley with Fort Smith Police said.
The Craig's listing became the first internet-related arrest for the department. But even though the numbers seem high, the Sgt. says he believes it to be the same for cities of similar size to Fort Smith. The undercover officer we spoke with says netting people in the sting operations isn't too tough.
"We walk up just like anybody else dressed like anybody else and we'll often wealk up on 2 men engaged in these type of activities," he said.
What's disturbing is that what they do is in full, public view. But it becomes more difficult to catch them in the act after a while.
"Once they've been arrested one or two times they tend to learn our tactics and they try to change the way that they behave and the things that they do and says around that," the officer told 5NEWS.
Yet, for many of them it's not enough. They don't seem to learn their lesson. One man has been arrested five times.
Sgt. Levi Risley says there are several locations around town where this type of activity takes place. It's not just parks. Retail store bathrooms are also popular place to meet. The street crimes unit has five officers and one supervisor that work trouble spots full time.
The public park has become a hotspot for homosexual activity. Prostitution is also a problem that plagues the city and one that isn't limited to a particular location. "Just when I think I've seen it all there's something that comes along that you know causes me to raise an eyebrow," an undercover officer told 5NEWS.
Even officers with the street crimes unit aren't jaded when it comes to this type of activity. In the past few weeks the team has arrested six men for loitering along the walking trails at Fort Smith park. In other parts of the city, they've taken two prostitutes into custody.
"We've also made one arrest for promising prostitution this was kind of an internet connected case we had received a complaint that a guy was handing out business cards," Sgt. Levi Risley with Fort Smith Police said.
The Craig's listing became the first internet-related arrest for the department. But even though the numbers seem high, the Sgt. says he believes it to be the same for cities of similar size to Fort Smith. The undercover officer we spoke with says netting people in the sting operations isn't too tough.
"We walk up just like anybody else dressed like anybody else and we'll often wealk up on 2 men engaged in these type of activities," he said.
What's disturbing is that what they do is in full, public view. But it becomes more difficult to catch them in the act after a while.
"Once they've been arrested one or two times they tend to learn our tactics and they try to change the way that they behave and the things that they do and says around that," the officer told 5NEWS.
Yet, for many of them it's not enough. They don't seem to learn their lesson. One man has been arrested five times.
Sgt. Levi Risley says there are several locations around town where this type of activity takes place. It's not just parks. Retail store bathrooms are also popular place to meet. The street crimes unit has five officers and one supervisor that work trouble spots full time.
