Prostitution sting Operation in Houston leads to 18 arrests

The streets of Houston are safer today after operation “last dance” led to the arrest of 15 women and 3 men in a double prostitution sting according to the Harris County Sherriff’s office.  (sarcasm emphasized).

Lolita’s Mexican Cantina at 11730 Beaumont was raided along with Linda’s Bar at 2217 McCarty, the detained individuals got stung by undercover officers posing as customers at the two bars.  Local news footage of the arrests at one of the locations shows a make-shift bedroom that had been made out of a restroom in the back of the bar.

I am sure we are all proud to see our tax dollars at work.  I would much rather have the sheriff’s office orchestrating a large sting operation on these poor sops than be out there trying to catch violent offenders (no emphasis added, but sarcasm still noted).  Ok, I get it, we don’t agree with prostitution – it is illegal and we as a society have come to the conclusion that if people engage in it, we want to lock them up.

And yes, I know, the argument has been made time and time again for legalization and regulation – but the truth remains that it is an illegal enterprise that has its victims, both male and female…but my point is this:

Is this not yet another area where we are devoting too many of our resources to something that we may all agree is “bad” but at the cost of not pursuing worse crimes.  (give me some latitude for arguments sake).  Which would we prefer – to go after rapists, murderers, robbers and the like, or to spend our time and money ferreting out prostitutes and johns?

Some questions I have:

Like illicit drugs, is this not an unavoidable vice in our society that is inextricable and would be better regulated by the government so that it can be kept as safe as possible?  And we could tax it too right?  Do we really think this supposed scourge on our society can be remedied by setting up stings like this, or is it all just to give the lazy police officers something to do so they don’t have to go and try to arrest more hardened criminals?