Police in Prince George's County, Maryland will update their Twitter account during a prostitution sting next week, WTOP reported.
"We're using this progressive, and what we believe unprecedented, social media tactic to warn any potential participants that this type of criminal behavior is not welcome in Prince George's County," a news release said.
In addition to text updates, photos of the suspects will also be uploaded to the social media website. However, investigators will not be sharing pictures of prostitutes -- only ones of the individuals suspected in soliciting them.
"The intent all along has been to put on notice and/or arrest the very people who exploit women and even young girls in our community," the release said.
The tweets will be posted on the @PGPDNews account. You can also follow the #PGPDVice hash tag, WTOP said.
However, advocates who support sex workers are critical of the department's method of combating exploitation and abuse.
"I think it's terrible. It's awful," said Cyndee Clay, executive director of HIPS, a nonprofit organization that "promotes the health, rights, and dignity" of people affected by sex work.
"Shaming doesn't work."
Clay expressed her concern that the police department's program will not help or effectively change the dangerous situations sex workers are in.
"If they are in a trafficking or abusive situation, posting their picture on the Internet isn't doing anything to help that situation," Clay said. "You're also potentially outing these people to their friends, family and to their neighbors. This puts them at increased risk of violence or isolation."
As the officers live-tweet the sting, members of HIPS will hold a day of service at it's D.C. location and cruise around it the company's outreach van, which helps educate sex work victims about counseling, HIV and hepatitis C testing, and other "safe sex materials."
"We want to build real and effective community responses," Clay told WTOP.
