Hazlet is a township of about 20,000 residents in Monmouth County, New Jersey. It is located across the harbor south of lower Manhattan (NYC), near New Brunswick and Middlletown, NJ. Cases of prostitution have been documented in the city, generating  complaints from citizens and local businesses, and have been associated with a wide range of other crimes. Among the tactics used to address these problems are those that focus on consumer-level demand.

For example, Hazlet police started investigating New Look Spa at 1222 Highway 36 in January 2018 after they received numerous reports of “illegal acts” occurring at that location. Hazlet police visited the spa multiple times during the months of January and February. On February 16, a 66-year-old-man from East Brunswick was arrested and charged with engaging in prostitution. On February 27, two more men were arrested at the spa: a 26-year-old-man from Old Bridge and a 46-year-old-man from Keyport were both charged with engaging in prostitution. Police did not immediately release any of the names of those arrested, but they were eventually publicly disclosed. A member of the East Brunswick Board of Education resigned after revelations he was one of the men charged with patronizing a prostitute in Hazlet. He pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct offense, and paid a $1,000 fine.