Cops get busted too....

NEW ORLEANS - An NOPD officer from the Fifth District has been arrested for alleged solicitation in connection with a recent sweep that resulted in the arrest of 29 men for solicitation of prostitutes.

Mark Galbreth, a two-year veteran, has been suspended, the NOPD confirmed.

Police said Galbreth was arrested two hours after an undercover officer got the license plate of his car, which was then found by the Public Integrity Bureau - parked at police headquarters.

They said Galbreth flashed his credentials to the undercover officer posing as a prostitute, but left before he could complete the transaction or be arrested.

Superintendent Ronal Serpas commended the undercover officer on a "tremendous job"*in helping to identify the officer.

The sting that was recently done, was called a 'reverse sting' in that police officers posed as prostitutes in an attempt to catch the 'johns.'

"We do target the prostitutes, and we did that and we're gonna do that again, but it's just a different angle to disrupt the organization and disrupt the flow of business for prostitution," said Cmdr. Michael Harrison with NOPD’s Specialized Investigations Division, after the sweep was announced.
The sting covered areas in three NOPD districts -- including the 3500 block of Tulane Avenue, the 7800 block of Chef Menteur, and the 900 block of Airline -- during a recent eight-day period.