Five people were arrested last week as part of an undercover operation to curb prostitution in Washington.

According to Lt. William Chrismon, spokesman for the police department, the arrests took place at a Washington hotel, which law enforcement declined to name, citing the hotel management’s cooperation with officials.

On Sept. 26, three men were arrested and charged with soliciting a woman for the purpose of prostitution. One of the men arrested, Jemell Devone Keyes, 24, of Hickory Drive in Washington, was a Washington County Sheriff’s Department deputy. It is unknown how long Keyes had worked for the agency.

The next night, Washington police arrested two women for solicitation.

“It’s operations like this that keeps people from wanting to come here and engage in this type of activity on both sides,” Chrismon said.

According to officials, reliable information led to last week’s arrests.

“We got ahead of the curve this time,” said Washington Police and Fire Services Director Stacy Drakeford, adding that local police don’t see this type of activity often. “It’s not a lot. It’s one of those things that could cause us issues. It’s just another step we’re taking to try to clean up the community — to try to make it safer.”