The Covington Police Department, in a joint operation with the Conyers Police Department, arrested 20 males for pandering and other charges throughout a five day period recently.

The Covington Police Department reached out to Conyers and on May 29, Conyers investigators assisted Covington with a sting at one of their local motels. Eight arrests were made on May 29, before 12 more were arrested Tuesday, June 2.

Five Covington men were arrested in the sting, with three occurring in Covington and two in Conyers.

Alfonza Jackson, 47, Antwon Percell Garrett, 42, Michael Lamont Slaughter, 31, Byron Freeman, 22 and Daryl Sylvester Thomas, 35 were all charged with pandering.

The purpose of the joint operation was to identify and arrest individuals involved in the business of soliciting for sex. The arrests will also go to addressing violent crimes that can be associated with prostitution.

“Not only are female prostitutes being targeted, assaulted and robbed,” Conyers Police Chief Gene Wilson said, “the johns intending on meeting for sex can be met with an armed man and robbed of their cash or worse.”

The Conyers Police had several successful operations last year which undoubtedly contributed to the overall decrease in crime not only around local hotels but the city as a whole in 2014. The phrase “Conyers is hot” proved a valuable deterrent following media coverage of the multiple arrests generated from the operations.