Troy is a city in Oakland County, Michigan. Its population is roughly 87,000. It is within the metropolitan Detroit area and located about 6 miles northwest of that city center. Prostitution and sex trafficking have been identified as problems in Troy for years, and generate complaints to police. In a recent example, in describing a prostitution sting, the Oakland County Sheriff said they chose to target a high-prostitution and drug area based on citizen complaints: “These sorts of illegal activities degrade a neighborhood and will not be tolerated in Pontiac or anywhere in Oakland County. Anyone having information about these or other types of crimes in Pontiac are encouraged to contact us. I thank the citizens for making specific complaints as active and involved citizens make for a safer community.” Sex trafficking of children is also well-documented in the city. In November 2017, a 31-year-old woman was arrested and charged with prostitution at a Rochester Road massage parlor. Officers went to the massage parlor for an inspection and found the woman engaged in a sex act with a 56-year-old man. The woman was charged with prostitution and a massage license ordinance violation. The man was issued a misdemeanor citation for frequenting a house of ill fame and was released at the scene. The massage parlor’s license was subsequently suspended by police due to the illegal activity. In May 2018, Troy Police arrested seven people for prostitution and massage ordinance violations at a massage parlor on Wattles street. The business’s massage license was revoked as a result.

To combat the consumer-level demand that drives prostitution, the Troy Police Department has conducted reverse stings and other enforcement operations to arrest sex buyers, and have publicized the identities of individuals arrested for solicitation. For example, in August 2017 Troy police responded to complaints from neighbors and arrested two women for prostitution, in separate incidents, within just four days. Police arrested a 32-year-old woman at a home on Forge Drive, just a few houses from Barnard Elementary School. Officers were conducting an investigation related to activities at the home and were granted a search warrant to enter. Based on information gathered, they made the arrest. Neighbors began complaining about a lot of traffic at the house after it changed hands just a few weeks previously. It did not appear that the arrested woman lived there, and it looked like the primary use was prostitution. The woman was issued a citation for prostitution, a misdemeanor, and released. Police also arrested a 29-year-old woman at an apartment on John R Road. Officers conducting an investigation saw a man get out of a car, enter the home and exit a short time later. He was stopped for a traffic violation and arrested for driving on a restricted operator’s license. Officers were granted a search warrant to enter the home. They arrested the woman based on information gathered. The woman was detained by agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and was also issued a citation for prostitution.

In March 2018, Troy police made another arrest for prostitution at a hotel on Rochester Court. Police had arrested two men for solicitation of a prostituted person and one woman for prostitution at the same motel the prior week. In July 2019, two people faced charges from a prostitution bust at a massage business in Troy. The massage parlor was shut down for several violations. During an unannounced inspection, officers found a 30-year-old female massage therapist engaged in prostitution acts with a 68-year-old man. The massage therapist and sex buyer were both charged.