Here's How Elkton Police Are Cracking Down On Prostitution

BALTIMORE, Md. (WJZ) -- The Elkton Police Department is rolling out a new law enforcement strategy to crack down on prostitution: a letter home.

Here's how it works: police will now send warning letters to owners of vehicles seen driving in a way that suggests they're trying to solicit a prostitute.

The "Dear John" letters don't carry any charges and recipients aren't accused of anything, Capt. J.V. Zurolo wrote in a Facebook post explaining the initiative, but a case number will be generated and details of the vehicle's sighting will be documented in an incident report.

"We believe this tactic will be a great deterrent by making the known areas of prostitution activity less attractive to prospective 'Johns' or customers," wrote Zurolo.

The letters will note when and where the vehicle was observed and inform the driver he was spotted driving "in a manner indicative of attempting to pick up a prostitute."

The correspondence won't be random either, according to Zurulo, who added that police often witness suspicious behavior -- such as a known prostitute getting into or out of a vehicle -- but don't have probable cause to make an arrest.

This method augments the abilities of police to "rid the town of this type of activity," the captain wrote.