Eight women were arrested and charged with prostitution in a sting conducted by the New Haven Police Department this weekend.

This was the eighth publicly announced sting organized by the NHPD since Chief of Police James Lewis’s launched a prostitution reduction initiative in August. Since the first raid, which occurred on Aug. 14, more than 60 “johns,” or male patrons, and prostitutes have been detained.

This weekend’s sting operation took place in New Haven’s Fair Haven neighborhood, which is known for widespread prostitution. During the sting, undercover officers from the Gun and Firearms Unit posed as “johns,” those who solicit a prostitute’s services.

The women arrested ranged in age from 38 to 57 years old, a city press release stated. Three of the eight — all of whom are New Haven residents — live within three blocks of Yale’s campus. One lives by the Peabody Museum, one behind Payne Whitney Gymnasium, another near the Yale Farm.

When the raids began, City Hall spokeswoman Jessica Mayorga told the News that City Hall includes in its press releases the names, faces, dates of birth and addresses of the individuals in order to deter their continued activity.

The NHPD hopes that its new focus on prostitution will cause a reduction in other types of criminal activity in the city like drug trafficking and domestic violence, she said.