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Guns and roses: Police complicity in organized prostitution

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  • He, Guojun
  • Peng, Wenwei

Abstract

Police complicity in organized crime is not uncommon, yet it is extremely difficult to examine empirically. Using unique sex transaction data from China, we show that police can be complicit in organized prostitution. Specifically, we document that sauna houses and massage parlors with greater neighborhood police density are likely to be “protected” by police and thus can host higher-risk, higher-penalty sex business. The complicity effect is particularly salient during periods of local prostitution crackdowns, implying selective enforcement. Changes in local leadership and visits of the central government’s discipline teams can attenuate the complicity effect.

Suggested Citation

  • He, Guojun & Peng, Wenwei, 2022. "Guns and roses: Police complicity in organized prostitution," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:207:y:2022:i:c:s0047272722000019
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2022.104599
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Sex work; Corruption; Illegal behavior; Crime; Police misconduct; Rent seeking;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • J40 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - General
    • K4 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior

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