"Sometimes in the winter, you can conceal (a gun)," one of the decoys says. "Not in the summertime. There is nowhere to put it."

The decoys are watched from a distance by a "shadow" or "cover" officer, who remains in radio contact with a "takedown" car a short distance away.

Hurry up and wait

At 3 p.m., the takedown car is parked in an alley off National Ave. and the two young police officers are displaying a calm, almost Zen-like approach to their assignment with the vice squad. During these occasional sweeps, Lt. Thomas Welch of the vice squad asks supervisors from different districts to provide officers to help with the operation.

"It's another day, for the most part," says the officer behind the wheel, undercover in a 49ers jersey, white visor and bulletproof vest. Even though it's one of the most prestigious responsibilities in the force, both cops seem somewhat unfazed.

"You don't get picked for doing anything special," says the second. "But it's a nice change of pace."

Almost an hour passes before the first arrest. The shadow car announces each potential pick up over the radio. "Tan Saturn," it squawks. Then about 10 seconds later: "No go."

A few minutes later, we hear, "Black Nissan, four-door." Then again, "No go."

The officers put the unmarked car back in park and continue talking about family, the dangers on the job, but mostly about all the paperwork that comes with police work. It's not, they say, all about busting bad guys. "There's a continuum of things you go through," says the officer who is riding shotgun.

After about 40 minutes, the decoy has found a john and given a signal to the shadow officer. "Red Civic," the radio announces. "Go!"

And just like that it's a scene straight out of any TV police show. The officers slap the portable siren on the dash, crank it up and floor it around the alley. They spring out of their car, surprising the young suspect in the Civic hatchback. He's more clean-cut than you might expect, wearing work clothes, looking like he just ended his shift at a nearby mechanic shop.

The suspect is completely stunned as the officers cuff him, put him in the back of the red Crown Vic and take him to the staging area a few blocks away. They quickly search his car and begin to interview the suspect, who will eventually sit for the next several hours in the back of a van filling with sullen-looking men.

"He's looking at a $500 fine," says one of the officers before he heads out for another pick up.

The johns caught in sting operations come from every social, racial and economic strata of the city. Some are laborers driving company trucks, which are impounded until a representative from the business comes to get them. One man recently propositioned a decoy while riding a bicycle, which was impounded, and another came up on a motorcycle, which was tucked away near the command post.

Some of the johns are white-collar workers. Recently, a suburban police officer was arrested for offering a decoy $15 for oral sex.

Although many johns are considered not dangerous, some are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, some are carrying weapons or drugs and others get nervous because they are on parole.

"Most of them just kind of hang their heads and say, 'Don't call my wife,'" Welch says. "One or two sweeps ago, we got a guy who was a bigwig at a bank. The first thing he did was call his wife and say, 'Hey, I just got arrested, well, you know, in that part of town where we go once in awhile ...' It turned out they were swingers and they would pick up prostitutes together."

Off the streets

Prostitution in Milwaukee is not limited to street activity. At the other end of the spectrum are escorts who work in hotels and nightclubs and often get customers through ads in newspapers or online.

"Somehow, they think they are better than the street girls," Detective Dan says. "But, they're doing the same thing. These women can charge anywhere from $100 to $500 an hour for their services. They'll do it in a hotel room or wherever."

Dan recently arrested a 43-year-old escort; a single mother with two older children, a good job in the medical field and a nice home in Glendale.

"She had rented an apartment downtown," he said, referring to the new units near police headquarters. "She figured it was more cost-effective to rent an apartment for $1,000 a month than spend $60 to $70 for a hotel room every time. So, she furnished this apartment and used it for the sole purpose of engaging with her upscale Milwaukee clientele. She was good looking, in good shape for her age and she was doing it for the money. She had regular clients and she was charging $250 per trick.

"She got charged with operating a place of prostitution. It doesn't matter whether you're using it for yourself or with 20 girls - if that's the primary purpose, it's a whorehouse."

A spontaneous act

During a stint in the "cover car" Detective Dan said that many of the johns are acting spontaneously. As he speaks, several cars slow down and talk to the decoy, but none proposition her. First, it's a brown sedan that stops to chat, but leaves, presumably spooked. Then it's a silver mini van ... nothing. Next a black Toyota Highlander makes two passes, so does a Corolla. Later, the decoy will tell me that she had each of the license plates memorized by the time the cars passed by. She paces back and forth, looking casual as can be -- but all of her senses are piqued and alert.

At 4:11 p.m., the silver Corolla makes another pass. The driver stops and tries to get the decoy into his car. "I just want to talk, why don't you just get in?" he says to her. Something must feel wrong to the driver, because he changes his mind and leaves.

A few minutes later, a red Camry pulls up to the decoy officer. But he sees the cover car watching from the parking lot, and leaves in a hurry. "He's been scoping (the decoy)," says the lieutenant.

Finally, the decoy motions us over and suggests we try another corner. We move a few blocks south and east and park a bit father away.

At 4:42 p.m., a pedestrian approaches the decoy, who is now standing on a corner in front of a school. He walks away, but two minutes later, another man walks up. We might be in business.