Rockland, MA

Tactics Used

Auto Seizure
Buyer Arrests
Cameras
Community Service
Employment Loss
Identity Disclosure
IT Based Tactics
John School
Letters
License Suspension
Neighborhood Action
Public Education
Reverse Stings
SOAP Orders
Web Stings

Rockland is a town of approximately 17,500 residents, located on Massachusetts’ South Shore in Plymouth County near Brockton and Bridgewater. In its efforts to reduce local prostitution, the Rockland Police Department has conducted stings targeting sex buyers. In 2008, RPD officers responded to an online ad for sex and arrested two women at a Rockland hotel. Officers then initiated an ad hoc reverse sting, wherein a female officer answered the cell phone they recovered from the women and continued to set up appointments with sex buyers. Eight male customers were arrested as a result; all of their names were publicized by local media outlets.

In August, 2021, a web-based reverse sting resulted in the arrest of five men, whose names were also released in news reports.  Investigators posted a commercial sex advertisement online, with a female officer posing as an escort. A Rockland hotel was used as the meeting place. The Massachusetts State Police, Plymouth County Sheriffs Office, Rockland Police Department, and the Boston Police Human Trafficking Task Force set up the sting.

Key Partners

  • Rockland Police Department
  • Massachusetts State Police
  • Plymouth County Sheriffs Office
  • Boston Police Human Trafficking Task Force

Key Sources

Web-Based Reverse Stings with Shaming:

Background on Prostitution in the Area:

State Massachusetts
Type City
Population 17489
Location
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