Weldon is a small town of less than 1,700 residents, situated near Roanoke Rapids in Halifax County, North Carolina.  The Halifax County Sheriff’s Office and the Weldon Police Department have received numerous complaints about street prostitution, particularly in the area of Elm and Green streets.

In an October 2013 operation dubbed “Operation Trick or Treat,” the Weldon Police Department conducted an undercover sting in response to complaints of prostitution that include the area traditionally known as South Weldon, and areas in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the town (i.e., unincorporated area of Halifax County on the southern outskirts of the town).  In the first phase of the operation, the police department and undercover agents worked to pick up women soliciting prostitution. Two days later, police conducted a reverse sting, using a female undercover officer to arrest those seeking prostituted women.  The names, ages, and photos of arrestees were released to news outlets.