The day team covers two groups, sex offenses and gambling, while the night team manages prostitution busts. The night team has three female detectives who are recruited from other police beats to operate undercover as streetwalkers. The vice unit's most frequent targets are not "johns" but rather street hookers. Detectives realize a prosecutable case rests on an agreement to engage in a sex act for money, but the actual exchange of money is not necessary for a prostitution conviction. Usually, the police officer hands the street hooker a condom and that constitutes the act. According to several San Diego police officers, the biggest problem with working vice is the constant exposure to the seamy side of life. To guard against inherent temptations associated with prostitution and gambling, detectives spend only 18 months on the vice unit before transferring to other investigation areas. Challenges and hazards faced by San Diego County's vice unit are noted. 6 photographs