Beardstown is a city in Cass County, Illinois. Its population is approximately 6,000, and it is located along the Illinois River in the western part of the state, southwest of Peoria and northwest of Springfield.  Evidence of prostitution activity in Beardstown dates back to the 1870s through the present, and in contemporary times the problems and ancillary crimes it generates results in complaints to law enforcement agencies. Consumer-level demand provides the revenue stream for all prostitution and sex trafficking, and has therefore been targeted by local law enforcement agencies as a strategy for prevention and response.  A law enforcement respondent to the 2021 National Assessment Survey reported that demand reduction tactics have been used Beardstown for decades, including vehicle seizure (since 1988), driver’s license suspension (since 1960), and public education (since 2010).