Pack93z
  • Pack93z
  • Select Member Topic Starter
15 years ago
Zero... you might want to start cracking down on your 'other' sites.. ;)

A little bit of old school gum shoeing here... with a technology kicker.

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/crime_and_courts/article_ac93a110-3fca-58fd-ac37-6c0dd6202306.html 

Madison police have cracked down on the sidewalk sex trade by infiltrating an online forum used by customers of prostitutes to stay a step ahead of law enforcement.

Police turned the online tool against its users.

Combining information gleaned from the website and eight months of street-level surveillance, the approach by Officer Jeff Pharo and other members of the South District Community Policing Team led to 57 arrests. Pharo compiled a 27-page whos who of streetwalkers, pimps and johns, complete with mug shots, vehicle descriptions and summaries of their habits.

I continue to be amazed at how he was able to piece together information based on what he saw online and on the street, Sgt. Jim Dexheimer, who supervises the team, said of Pharo.

Internet communities for customers of prostitutes have been around since at least the 1990s, allowing local users to share their experiences and their knowledge about prices, available services and potential risks such as sexually transmitted disease, said Tim Holt, a Michigan State University criminologist who researches how people use the Internet to help them commit crimes. They also share information about police and stings, he said.

But police are just beginning to use the sites as investigative resources, Holt said.

Pharo said he stumbled across the Madison page of a national website for prostitution customers while trying to confirm a tip about a prostitute operating in the Badger Road corridor.

Somebody wrote something like, Dees out, wearing a black and white shirt and carrying a pink purse near the PDQ on Fish Hatchery, he said.

The post had a recent time stamp, so Pharo drove to the gas station and saw a woman with a record of prostitution who matched that description, he said.

Pharo went back to the office and signed on, like other site users, with a pseudonym. He said he posted a few fake entries to establish himself and then started checking in and learning about the cast of characters through details they would mention about themselves, their vehicles and their movements.

In one case, someone wrote that theyd seen two prostitutes in the area between 5 and 7 p.m. Pharo had also seen them, so he made a note that the writer had reliable information.

Another time, Pharo said, Someone wrote to the guy in the light-colored Impala youre driving too slow. So I go over there, and sure enough, light-colored Impala, driving slow.

Pharo said he confronted the driver, got him to admit he was cruising for prostitutes and wrote him a ticket.

Sometimes, suspects would refuse to confess, insisting that they were driving up and down Badger for legitimate purposes, such as repeatedly checking gas prices at nearby stations, Pharo said.

But, armed with a growing body of information he gained online and during hours of street surveillance, he said, he often was able to cajole men into admitting they were there for illegal purposes.

If you know what you are talking about, people will usually admit to what they are doing, Pharo said.

As he became able to recognize all the players on sight, the job got easier.

Pharos tactics stand in contrast to standard procedure occasional police sting operations, with officers posing as prostitutes nabbing about a dozen men, but failing to slow down the sidewalk sex trade for more than a day or two, Dexheimer said.

We found out there was a whole other clientele out there that we werent arresting because they are more organized, he said.

Five sting operations from 2006 to 2008 along West Badger Road led to 61 men being arrested, Dexheimer said.

But another group of customers was online, sharing information about how to recognize a sting and how to avoid being arrested. Pharo made 57 arrests in eight months, including 28 men.

Dozens of men used the Madison website he monitored, Pharo said.

Pharo rotated last week to a patrol assignment with hours that better suit his family life.

One or two officers will pick up where Pharo left off, Dexheimer said.

Prostitution is still the most visible sign that this is a neighborhood in crisis, Dexheimer said.

Its important to clean things up in preparation for a planned senior citizen housing complex, but current residents are demanding change too, he said.


"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"
vikesrule
15 years ago

Zero... you might want to start cracking down on your 'other' sites.. ;)

"pack93z" wrote:



The only other site that Zero2Cool owns that might be a touch suspect is this one.....


Z2C's favorite site 
Zero2Cool
15 years ago
The other sites have been pushed off to others for them to be responsible for. PH is my only site now and I barely have time to manage it as it is.

Seems to still be alive and kicking though.
UserPostedImage
Pack93z
  • Pack93z
  • Select Member Topic Starter
15 years ago
That line was a joke.. my friend.. just to be crystal clear..
"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"
Zero2Cool
15 years ago
I was thinking so, but felt it was an opportunity to let others know that I'm not spending my time on other sites of "mine" instead of this one. I've noticed how some are keen on this place and its upkeep.
UserPostedImage
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dfosterf (25-Jun) : Weird question. Very esoteric. For stockholders. Also lengthy. Sorry. Offseason.
Zero2Cool (25-Jun) : Maybe wicked wind chill made it worse?
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Zero2Cool (24-Jun) : Yawn. Rodgers says he is "pretty sure" this be final season.
Zero2Cool (23-Jun) : PFT claims Packers are having extension talks with Zach Tom, Quay Walker.
Mucky Tundra (20-Jun) : GB-Minnesota 2004 Wild Card game popped up on my YouTube page....UGH
beast (20-Jun) : Hmm 🤔 re-signing Walker before Tom? Sounds highly questionable to me.
Mucky Tundra (19-Jun) : One person on Twitter=cannon law
Zero2Cool (19-Jun) : Well, to ONE person on Tweeter
Zero2Cool (19-Jun) : According to Tweeter
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dfosterf (18-Jun) : E4B landed at Andrews last night
dfosterf (18-Jun) : 101 in a 60
dfosterf (18-Jun) : FAFO
Zero2Cool (18-Jun) : one year $4m with incentives to make it up to $6m
dfosterf (18-Jun) : Or Lions
dfosterf (18-Jun) : Beats the hell out of a Vikings signing
Zero2Cool (18-Jun) : Baltimore Ravens now have signed former Packers CB Jaire Alexander.
dfosterf (14-Jun) : TWO magnificent strikes for touchdowns. Lose the pennstate semigeezer non nfl backup
dfosterf (14-Jun) : There was minicamp Thursday. My man Taylor Engersma threw
dfosterf (11-Jun) : There will be a mini camp practice Thursday.
Zero2Cool (11-Jun) : He's been sporting a ring for a while now. It's probably Madonna.
Martha Careful (10-Jun) : We only do the tea before whoopee, it relaxes me.
wpr (10-Jun) : That's awesome Martha.
Mucky Tundra (10-Jun) : How's the ayahuasca tea he makes, Martha?
Martha Careful (10-Jun) : Turns out he like older women
Martha Careful (10-Jun) : I wasn't supposed to say anything, but yes the word is out and we are happy 😂😂😂
Mucky Tundra (10-Jun) : I might be late on this but Aaron Rodgers is now married
Mucky Tundra (10-Jun) : Well he can always ask his brother for pointers
Zero2Cool (10-Jun) : Bo Melton taking some reps at CB as well as WR
Zero2Cool (10-Jun) : key transactions coming today at 3pm that will consume more cap in 2025
Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : Jaire played in just 34 of a possible 68 games since the start of the 2021 season
Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : reported, but not expected to practice
Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : Jenkins has REPORTED for mandatory camp
Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : I really thought he'd play for Packers.
buckeyepackfan (9-Jun) : Packers releasing Jaire Alexander.
Mucky Tundra (8-Jun) : (Context: he wants his defense to create turnovers)
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