Line #15 Main/DirtyHarriet


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13	[[quoteright:350:[[Series/Hunter1984 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tumblr_inline_munvenl3pk1s8g9qk.png]]]]
14	[[caption-width-right:350:Well, when you're wearing that, I definitely ''do'' feel lucky.]]
15
16	The baseline Dirty Harriet scenario is when a female law enforcement officer goes undercover in a role only a woman is expected to take, like stripper or prostitute. This allows for the natural tensions of undercover work, and of course also provides a reason for her to [[{{Fanservice}} wear little clothing]]. Building on this, there are a number of other possible variations on the trope. The woman might not be proper law enforcement (perhaps she's a private detective, for instance), or the role might not be immediately connected to sex work (though still require her to wear sexy clothes). Or, it might actually be a male officer who is DisguisedInDrag for similar purposes: perhaps the job is simply deemed [[StayInTheKitchen too dangerous]] for a woman. In the latter case, unless it's played for laughs, it's likely that the guy [[AttractiveBentGender looks good enough]] in drag to pass convincingly as a woman, at least at first glance. Or possibly, he is deliberately impersonating another {{Crossdresser}}, or a UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} woman.
17
18	Note that while this ''does'' happen in reality, it's very controversial, and legally and morally delicate. It has a very high chance of going spectacularly wrong and can easily turn into the sort of situation where a would-be arrestee is suing the city or the state or the feds for entrapment or worse. The real-life prostitution stings shown on various cop documentaries usually entail the undercover officer doing just the absolute minimum to make it absolutely clear that the client is really buying sex, and once money has changed hands excuse herself while her colleagues (who have been monitoring the situation from the next room or a parked car) storm in and make the arrest. This is also a uniquely American trope, given the varying legality of prostitution across the world.
19
20	This also appears in SpyFiction. SerialKillerBaiting often involves this trope. See also FairCop. Almost never falls victim to CanAlwaysSpotACop.
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22	The term has also been used to describe female police officers depicted in film, TV, and literature as being just as deadly as their male counterparts (or, specifically, Clint Eastwood's Film/DirtyHarry character)[[note]]A mid-1980s TV series titled ''Series/LadyBlue'', about a deadly female cop, was in fact promoted by the network as being a "Dirty Harriet" series[[/note]]. But that is not what this trope is about.
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24	See StripperCopConfusion for a humorous inversion of the trope.
25
26	If someone disguises themselves as a prostitute to commit different crimes, see ShadyLadyOfTheNight.
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28	----
29	!!Examples:
30
31	[[foldercontrol]]
32
33	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
34	* The title [[SpacePolice Space Cop]] of ''Manga/BirdyTheMighty: Decode'' does this in episode 5 to figure out who is behind a terrorist attack.
35	* In ''Manga/CatsEye'', police officer Mitsuko Asatani was once disguised as a bartender wearing a PlayboyBunny suit.
36	* ''Anime/CodeGeass'': In season two, ActionGirl Kallen is forced to work as a [[PlayboyBunny bunny-girl]] at an upscale casino as part of [[LaResistance the Black Knights']] plan to recover the amnesiac Lelouch/Zero. She's almost dragged off for a "bunny hunt", but Lelouch intervenes.
37	* ''Anime/CopCraft'': Tilarna is sent to infiltrate a "dating club" in episode 7 and winds up being paired with an up-and-coming politician. She is less than pleased at how long the other cops take to bust in.
38	* Minnie May in ''Manga/GunsmithCats'' filled this role as she had experience as the real thing, and easily passed the "audition" because of it.
39	* In ''Manga/{{Monster}}'', Nina resorts to this in order to find her brother.
40	* In ''Literature/NinjaSlayer'', supporting protagonist Nancy Lee one time masquerades as a prostitute to try to gain easy access inside a Syndicate facility. It works a little too well, in fact.
41	* Episode 15 of ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo''.
42	* ''Literature/TrinityBlood'' has a fleeting scene where Catholic nun Esther is used as a bait to catch a criminal. Blatant fanservice, that.
43	[[/folder]]
44
45	[[folder:Comic Books]]
46	* In ''ComicBook/AgeOfApocalypse'', Husk went undercover as a human prostitute to get into the slave camp Illyana was kept in.
47	* ''ComicBook/BirdsOfPrey'': One of Black Canary's conditions for joining Oracle's operation was that she would never have to impersonate a stripper. (The other was [[WalkingTechbane never having to use a computer]].)
48	* In the ''[[ComicBook/GIJoeIDW G.I. Joe: Cobra]]'' miniseries, Jinx went undercover at a strip club in order to make contact with Chuckles.
49	* ''ComicBook/LeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'': Mina Murray goes undercover as a Parisian ''demi-mondaine'' to lure out Mr. Hyde.
50	* Lucy does this in her introductory issue of ''ComicBook/{{Marville}}''.
51	* Lt. Bliss poses as a hooker in ''ComicBook/TheMazeAgency Annual'' story that was a homage to ''ComicBook/TheSpirit''.
52	* ''ComicBook/RobynHood'': Robyn goes undercover as HighClassCallGirl to bring down a dirty politician in #1 of her ongoing series.
53	* ''ComicBook/{{Ruse}}'' has a story in which Emma goes undercover as a {{Streetwalker}} to find a UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper-type killer.
54	* ''ComicBook/SinCity: Silent Night'' has an inversion. Marv goes undercover as a "customer" in order to infiltrate a sex ring and rescue a little girl.
55	* ''ComicBook/{{Valerian}}'': In order to approach two {{Space Pirate}}s, Laureline dresses up as a call girl.
56	[[/folder]]
57
58	[[folder:Fan Works]]
59	* ''Fanfic/BackForGood'': When Emirati U.Z.Z. agent Tushika Hoshino is first introduced in Chapter 7, she's working undercover as a stripper at Cavalli Club in order to keep a look-out for human traffickers in the act.
60	[[/folder]]
61
62	[[folder:Film -- Animated]]
63	* Catwoman poses as a stripper in order to get close to Rough Cut in ''WesternAnimation/DCShowcaseCatwoman''.
64	[[/folder]]
65
66	[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
67	* The Baron encounters the crossdressing variant immediately after the opening credits of ''Film/TheCandyTangerineMan''. He [[GroinAttack crushes the man's Johnson in order to escape]].
68	* Creator/PamGrier's character in ''Film/{{Coffy}}'' goes undercover as a call girl for a local drug dealer/pimp in order to infiltrate the criminal underworld, although she's a vigilante, not a police officer.
69	* ''Film/ConfidentiallyYours'': AmateurSleuth Barbara passes herself off as a prostitute so she can investigate the seedy nightclub Red Angel without looking conspicuous. She's quickly figured out though, because she guessed the nightclub's owner/pimp's gender wrong.
70	* ''Film/District13Ultimatum'' opens with one of the leads going undercover as a dancing girl in order to stage a major sting against a series of crime bosses. The twist? Both the movie's leads are male. But it must be said that Cyril Raffaelli looks ''stunning'' in a dress.
71	* In the Creator/PamGrier movie ''Film/FoxyBrown'' the protagonist goes undercover as a prostitute to exact revenge on the local crime lords, just as in its SpiritualPredecessor ''Film/{{Coffy}}''.
72	* ''Film/JackTheRipper1976'': After Inspector Selby starts to bear the brunt of the press's criticism for failing to catch the Ripper, his girlfriend Cynthia decides to go undercover as a streetwalker in an attempt to catch the Ripper.
73	* In ''Film/{{Khalnayak}}'' Ganga (Creator/MadhuriDixit) goes undercover as a dancer to try to catch Ballu (Creator/SanjayDutt) and save her boyfriend's reputation. She gets in waaay over her head, however, when [[LoveMakesYouCrazy Ballu develops feelings for her]].
74	* In ''Film/ManiacCop'', Theresa Mallory, Officer Forrest's girlfriend, works for Vice Squad, and she is seen working undercover as a prostitute before Cordell attacks her.
75	* In ''Film/MissCongeniality'' the titular character is an FBI agent that infiltrates the Miss United States pageant to find out who's threatening it.
76	* WPC Josie March poses as a prostitute in an attempt to [[SerialKillerBaiting lure the serial killer]] in ''Film/NightAfterNightAfterNight''.
77	* ''Film/RamboFirstBloodPartII''. Co poses as a prostitute to get inside the prison camp where Rambo is held.
78	* In ''Film/Sabotage2014'', Lizzy infiltrates the cartel safe house as a party girl.
79	* Averted in ''Film/StirCrazy''. When a paralegal goes undercover at a strip joint, she does so as a waitress.
80	* In ''Film/SouthCentral'', Bobby, Loco, and another gang member are cruising down the road when Loco spots a prostitute. Bobby, who's trying to lay low after killing a drug dealer named Genie Lamp, suspects there might be trouble and urges them to drive away, but the other two bring her into their car anyways. Loco tries to flirt with her by offering her drugs, at which point the prostitute reveals that she's actually an undercover officer, leading to their arrests.
81	* The Creator/RogerCorman sexploitation movie ''Film/StrippedToKill'' and the inevitable sequel. A SerialKiller is killing strippers, so a policewoman becomes a stripper to lure him out.
82	* ''Film/{{Tomcats}}'': When Michael first meets Natalie, he's a bit surprised that she's a prostitute. He's even more surprised when he gets his face slammed against a wall, put in handcuffs, and finds out she's really a cop.
83	* Played with in ''Film/TrueLies''. [[Creator/JamieLeeCurtis Helen Tasker]] thinks she is doing this, but it's actually a setup by [[Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger her husband Harry]], who really is a secret agent, to give her the excitement he thinks she's looking for. Before he can reveal everything, actual terrorists kidnap them both and things escalate from there.
84	* ''Film/UndercoverHeat''. DirtyHarriet police officer Cindy Hannen (Athena Massey) goes undercover in a high-class whorehouse to catch a murderer. She discovers the fake clients set up for her cannot be relied upon and when faced with real tricks decides to sew her "Wild oats" and enjoy a sexual adventure as a real prostitute, transforming from tomboy into FairCop via a GirlinessUpgrade, essentially BecomingTheMask. Also played with when she does a roleplay as a {{Dominatrix}} cop for one of her unwitting clients and indulges in AThreesomeIsHot with an attractive married couple.
85	* ''Film/WalkingVengeance'': Male non-cop version, Aurora has a habit of hiring male prostitutes; assassin Gabriel intercepts her call and pretends to be the prostitute.
86	* In ''Film/TheWarriors'', Ajax ends up getting arrested when he attempts to rape one of these. She then proceeds to cuff him to a park bench and call for back-up.
87	* In ''Film/XMenFirstClass'', in order to infiltrate a Hellfire Club private party, Moira [=MacTaggert=] strips down to her undergarments and pretends to be one of the call-girls. Done fairly well as it's shown that she's not all that comfortable with it and is ''acutely'' aware of how vulnerable she is.
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder:Literature]]
91	* In one Stuart Macbride's ''Aberdeen'' detective novels the fanservice aspect is averted. The officers posing as streetwalkers are plain and unattractive because an attractive street-corner prostitute would make people suspicious.
92	* In ''[[{{Literature/Gor}} Assassins of Gor]]'' Elizabeth Cardwell goes undercover in Ar as a slave girl. Of course, [[AuthorAppeal this being Gor and she being female]], she immediately starts heading in the direction of BecomingTheMask.
93	* ''Literature/{{Dexter}}'''s sister Deb did this at the start of the first book when she was working in vice. The tone of the books is much more negative than that of the show and Dexter as the narrator spends some time on how incredibly unattractive Deb, a beautiful woman, managed to make herself look in such skimpy clothing. She wasn't trying, either; she has no fashion sense. By contrast, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debra_Morgan Deb in the show has a perfectly good fashion sense]].
94	* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': Nobby Nobbs. Yes, [[DisguisedInDrag he's a man]], [[IAmNotWeasel or at least male.]] It's complex.[[note]]Extremely complex. For the sake of simplicity, Nobby is one of the few individuals in the world who has to carry around a card saying he's an actual human.[[/note]] In fact, Nobby's looks are so astounding that a footnote made sure to point out that although narrative law would normally demand an AttractiveBentGender moment, the trope withered and died in the face of Nobby Nobbs.
95	** Even better: in one instance, his partner for that operation is the very attractive Sgt. Angua, a werewolf. Nobby can't imagine ''she'd'' be the bait (and feels a lot safer with her as backup rather than the other way around).
96	* In ''Literature/TheGolgothaSeries'', Kate is a detective who goes undercover as a prostitute in Golgotha's brothel.
97	* Creator/HollyLisle's ''Last Girl Dancing'' is a textbook example of this trope: the protagonist is a female cop who goes undercover as a stripper to find a serial killer.
98	* In ''Literature/MonsterHunterInternational'', Heather in ''Alpha'' is mentioned to have worked undercover in such a position as a city police officer to bust a drug ring before returning to her hometown in Michigan and even jokes about it a bit to Harbinger.
99	-->''"The one with all her teeth? That's the undercover cop."''
100	* In ''[[Literature/CircleOfMagic Shatterglass]]'', part of Tamora Pierce's ''The Circle Opens'' Quartet, a serial killer stalks the female ''yaskedasi,'' or members of the entertainment class. Quite a few police officers (of both genders, but mostly women) go undercover as ''yaskedasi,'' but this is played straight when someone else comments that the grimly staring few who can't dance, juggle, or sing ''really'' stick out.
101	[[/folder]]
102
103	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
104	* On ''Series/TwentyOneJumpStreet'', Judy joined the Jump Street program because it was the only way she'd be able to get any other type of assignment. Of course, this didn't mean that she didn't still get just such an assignment occasionally.
105	* The pilot episode of ''Series/{{Airwolf}}'' features the F.I.R.M. getting an American agent employed as a belly dancer in Libya. Her cover is blown and she is killed later. They then decide to send in ''another'' belly dancer, who gets kidnapped by the evil Dr. Moffett, tortured, and ends up dying from dehydration in the Sahara. As the second agent is a LoveInterest of Stringfellow Hawke, [[ItsPersonal her death gives him a personal stake]] in the mission to recover Airwolf.
106	* ''Series/{{Angel}}'': In the original plan for the second episode, Kate Lockley was to be introduced as a police officer infiltrating a prostitution ring. In the [[ExecutiveMeddling version that made it to air]], she was investigating disappearances from (or hanging out at) a popular singles bar. She would go on to become the FairCop love interest and occasional antagonist for Angel Investigations for the first 2 seasons.
107	* In the reality series ''Series/ArmedAndFamous,'' both female celebrities (Wrestling/TrishStratus and [=LaToya=] Jackson) went undercover during a prostitution sting. In contrast to typical portrayals, this wasn't played for Fanservice, and both were dressed very casually.
108	* ''Series/AshesToAshes2008'': Alex Drake arrives in 1981 dressed as a prostitute. Later, in 1.05, she pretends to be one again - unfortunately for her, [[StraightGay she isn't the mark's type]].
109	* ''Series/TheBill'': Cathy Bradford, but there are other examples.
110	* One episode of ''Series/BlueBloods'' has Jackie going undercover to catch a killer with a predilection for webgirls.
111	* ''Series/CagneyAndLacey'': In episode 1 of season 1, no less, leading to Lacey's classic [[DeadpanSnarker snark]] as she and Cagney stand on a streetcorner in extravagant hooker outfits:
112	-->'''Det. Lacey:''' They call these plain clothes?
113	* ''Series/CharliesAngels'':
114	** The standard operating procedure of the Angels is to go undercover. Some of these assignments involve posing as prostitutes, exotic dancers, or in massage parlours, which gives many opportunities for FanService.
115	** In the first season finale, "Blue Angels", all three angels and Bosley go undercover in different places, and two of the assignments qualify as this trope: Jill impersonates a masseuese in a massage parlor (with Bosley as the manager). Sabrina goes undercover in the LAPD as a Phoenix vice detective, and is immediately ordered to impersonate a prostitute in order to infiltrate a different massage parlor.
116	* ''Series/{{Cracker}}'', series 3 episode "Brotherly Love": Penhaligon dresses as a prostitute hoping to lure a man believed to be murdering prostitutes. There's extra tension in the put-on because Penhaligon was still recovering from being raped by a colleague.
117	* In the Season 13 finale of ''Series/{{CSI}}'', Morgan goes undercover as a prostitute to try to find a serial killer. This entails her removing her dress, although we see nothing below the shoulders... and later almost ending up a victim of said killer herself.
118	* In ''Series/DeathValley'', Carla goes undercover as a Sex-For-Blood vampire prostitute.
119	* ''Series/{{Decoy}}'': Casey's first assignment requires her to go undercover at a carnival. The only job she can find is dancing in a harem outfit with three other girls outside a tent.
120	-->'''Barker''': From the far-off lands of mystic Persia, from the palace of a thousand delights, come these exotic enchantresses of the East, whose sensuous and curvaceous movements have never before been seen by anyone outside the closely-guarded walls of the Raja's harem.
121	* ''Series/{{Dexter}}''
122	** When we first meet Deb, she's working in the vice squad (that would be Miami Vice), assigned to a prostitution sting operation, and is desperate to get assigned ''out'' of it. Especially when she ends up helping out at a murder scene... still in her disguise.
123	** In season 3, Angel's new girlfriend is also undercover as a prostitute. Which he learns when [[OhCrap he tries to hire her.]]
124	** Season 5:
125	*** Officer Cira Manzon is chosen to impersonate a club thot as part of a sting to apprehend a dangerous gang leader.
126	*** Maria [=LaGuerta=] agrees to be part of a sting to catch a DirtyCop by suggesting a sexual liason. This creates tension with her husband Batista since he [[MistakenForCheating mistakes the whole thing for an affair]] she's having with an IAD detective.
127	* ''Series/FatherBrown'': In "The Crimson Feather", Bunty goes undercover as a burlesque dancer.
128	* ''Series/HillStreetBlues'': In the season 5 episode "Davenport in a Storm", a number of female officers and detectives pose as streetwalkers to catch a serial killer targeting prostitutes. This is not played for fanservice (it's winter and even the street walkers wear covering clothes) but it is emphasized that the operation is dangerous; in fact, Det. Patsy Mayo asks to ride as backup rather than pose as a prostitute because of the risk.
129	* In the first season of the 1980s cop show ''Series/Hunter1984'', Hunter's partner Dee Dee [=McCall=] poses as a streetwalker quite often (from the very first moment we see her, actually), usually to gather information rather than as a part of a sting operation. In later seasons she [[DownplayedTrope doesn't do it as often]], but it still happens. Somewhat unusually, this is not played for fanservice, at least not in the case of [=McCall=] herself - she tends to wear considerably more clothes than her supposed "colleagues".
130	* Ekaterina "Katia" Vorobyova in ''Series/TheInterns''. To collect materials about prostitutes for new article, she herself pretended to be prostitute (they would only trust one of them). She took precautions in case someone would actually try to force her into sex, taking shocker, pepper spray and switchblade.
131	* ''Series/{{JAG}}'': Mac goes undercover in season 5 as a Chief Petty Officer trying infiltrate a Wicca group, including getting herself sky-clad.
132	* ''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'': Detective Stevens poses as a HighClassCallGirl in order to get an interview with the madam of an exclusive escort service in "Gods & Insects". The squad room breaks into applause when she returns still in her outfit.
133	* ''Series/LawAndOrderSVU'': Happens often with Olivia Benson.
134	* In ''Series/LoisAndClark'' she did this as a showgirl to get inside info on a crime ring. She was pretty good at it. Lex Luthor was highly amused when she appeared on stage. Meanwhile, Clark, who was working the same story undercover, fretted a lot and didn't have that much remorse fingering Lois to the female mob boss he's ingratiated himself with when they are caught sneaking around in order to preserve his cover.
135	* One episode of ''Series/{{Legends}}'' has Crystal briefly going undercover as a stripper.
136	* ''Series/{{Lost}}'' has a ShowWithinAShow called ''Exposé'' about a group of secret agents undercover as strippers.
137	* ''Series/MiamiVice'': Practically the only thing Gina and Trudy ever seem to do is go undercover as prostitutes. At least, this tends to be the only time they get the spotlight; otherwise they are mostly support for Crockett and Tubbs.
138	* ''Series/MissFishersMurderMysteries'': Phryne goes undercover as a Spanish fan dancer at a gentleman's club in "Murder Most Scandalous".
139	* ''Series/{{NCIS}}'': In "[[Recap/NCISS15E11 High Tide]]", Bishop has to go undercover as an escort to help bust a drug ring. She [[SheCleansUpNicely cleans up so well]] that she is rated a "[[SexinessScore hard ten]]" by the perps.
140	* ''Series/NYPDBlue''
141	** In one episode Det. Kirkendall goes undercover as a call girl to get evidence against a suspected murderer. The operation is portrayed as unusual and risky (since there is good reason to suspect that her customer will try to kill her), is not undertaken lightly, and is not played for FanService.
142	** Detective [=McDowell=] impersonates a prostitute to get close to a drug dealer who is surrounded by armed henchmen. It's not an extended undercover operation -- as soon as she is in the same room as the dealer, her colleagues storm the place. In the resulting scuffle, her top (that didn't cover too much to start with) gets torn open, providing a gratuitous LingerieScene.
143	* The 1985 TV movie ''Operation Julie'' opens with a roomful of undercover police watching film footage of them pretending to be hippies to investigate drug selling at a pop festival. They especially appreciate the shots of their female colleagues walking around topless.
144	* Pepper Anderson in the 70's series ''Series/PoliceWoman'' (played by Creator/AngieDickinson) and her colleagues go undercover in almost every episode. Since she is the only woman in her squad, some of her assignments fit this trope. These usually involve wearing quite revealing clothing, which is played for fanservice. In at least one instance her cover is blown when she refuses to have actual sex with a client.
145	* Happens all the time on ''Series/Reno911'', with a few different outcomes.
146	** Deputy Weigel, the squad ButtMonkey, scares off the johns.
147	** Deputy Williams winds up knowing her young client from her old neighborhood and starts off giving him an angry lecture, before commenting on how well he's grown up and shutting off the recording equipment.
148	** At one point, the other deputies roust the prostitute hangout, only to find Deputy (Jim) Dangle among them, dressed as one. He tries to invoke the trope and convince them that he's undercover, but the others slowly catch on to the fact he is moonlighting as a gay prostitute as they leave.
149	-->'''Dep. Junior:''' Doesn't he have Fridays off?
150	* In ''Series/RobinHood'' Kate pretends to be a drunken tavern wench in order to distract one of the outlaws' targets, a job that includes a low-cut dress and lots of makeup. She hooks up with Robin in the very next episode. [[BeAWhoreToGetYourMan Hmmm...]]
151	* Played with in ''Series/TheShield'':
152	** A detective has to go undercover to catch a mob that's beating up prostitutes. ''Male'' prostitutes. Shane is very upset when he's forced into the role.
153	** Shane has no luck with this kind of thing. In another episode, the Strike Team had to find out which stripper at a club was luring johns into the alley and then robbing them with her boyfriend. When Vic tries it, he gets a blow job. When Shane tries it, he gets a tire iron to the head.
154	* Lois Lane in ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', although technically not as a cop but as a reporter. Not that anyone cared what her motivation was.
155	* The first episode of ''Series/{{Southland}}'' briefly features a female vice cop undercover as a {{Streetwalker}}.
156	* ''Series/StarskyAndHutch'': Starsky's ex-girlfriend turns out to have been undercover as a stripper in "Lady Blue".
157	* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration''. In "Preemptive Strike" Ensign Ro goes undercover to infiltrate a Maquis resistance group. She passes on her information to Captain Picard by meeting him in a bar, where she tells him to pretend he's buying her sexual services. This adds a level of awkwardness to their interaction (while Ro shares some BelligerentSexualTension with Commander Riker, she's never had any with Picard whom she regards more as a stern ParentalSubstitute). When they meet a second time, Ro has come to identify with the Maquis, so this trope gives Ro's actions as a spy a sleazy feel that doesn't make her feel any better about what she's doing.
158	* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''. On a couple of occasions Major Kira uses these tactics to infiltrate a Cardassian-controlled area, posing as a prostitute in "The Homecoming" and a [[SexSlave comfort girl]] in "Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night".
159	* ''Series/ThirdWatch'': Maritza Cruz, the [[SpicyLatina tough-as-nails female cop]] (played by Creator/TiaTexada). The very first time we see her, working on a prostitution sting, she's wearing "six-inch heels with a postage stamp of polyester stuck up my ass."
160	* ''Series/TJHooker'':
161	** One episode seen Officer Stacy Sheridan going undercover as a prostitute, with her partner Officer Corrigan acting the part of her pimp.
162	** In "Hollywood Starr," Detective Dani Starr (Creator/SharonStone) puts on her "flashiest streetwalking outfit" for a stakeout on Hollywood Boulevard.
163	* ''Series/{{Trace}}'': FairCop Oksana Amelina is used to work undercover as prostitute, stripper or simply seductive woman in nightclubs.
164	* ''Series/{{Treadstone}}''. In "The Paradox Andropov", Sooyun gets past the doorman at a nightclub and a security guard outside the VIP booth by pretending to be a high-class prostitute trawling for customers among TheMafiya in the VIP booth; it helps that she can actually speak Russian thanks to her conditioning, thereby gaining the BigBad's attention.
165	* One episode of ''Series/TwoAndAHalfMen'' has Charlie getting busted by one of these. This clues him in that his sexual life is getting out of hand (not that sleeping with many women is news to him, but in this episode, he was so unhinged that he literally broke his balls after sleeping with six or seven girls in the same day).
166	* Detective Shraeger in ''Series/TheUnusuals'' starts out in vice, dressed as a hooker. She's soon transferred to homicide, though.
167	* ''Series/WhiteCollar'' has FBI agent Diana undercover as a prostitute in an episode of the second season as part of an operation to bring down a [[SleazyPolitician corrupt politician]].
168	* ''Series/WithoutATrace'':
169	** In her first episode, Elena poses as a call girl to get information from a suspect. In "Candy", she goes undercover as a stripper.
170	** In another episode, Martin and Danny are interrogating a prostitute who was the last person seen with a missing judge when she mutters under her breath, "I'm a cop, so make this look good." They promptly begin yelling at her and roughing her up to maintain the facade of her being uncooperative.
171	* ''Series/TheWire'': PlayedWith. Kima goes undercover as a stripper, but not to catch some unsuspecting john. The Major Crimes unit is investigating a drug kingpin using the owner of his strip club, Orlando, to implicate key members of the organization. Kima is going along on the ride mainly as an eyeball witness. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, Orlando's bosses already knew he was a snitch and ordered a hit on him. Orlando is shot and killed while Kima is shot, but narrowly survives.]]
172	[[/folder]]
173
174	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
175	* The ''TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness'' sourcebook ''Tales from the 13th Precinct'' features a vice cop who gets sent on this type of assignment by default.
176	[[/folder]]
177
178	[[folder:Video Games]]
179	* ''VideoGame/{{Anachronox}}'': Stiletto Anyways makes her first appearance as a stripper before it turns out she's undercover as an ''assassin'', killing three mobsters halfway through the performance. Afterwards, the bar owner thinks it's a great act and wants to hire her full-time.
180	* ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive'': Christie went undercover as an erotic dancer in order to get close enough to assassinate her target in her ''Dead or Alive 4'' ending.
181	* In ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'', one of Jensen's old partners will be undercover as a prostitute.
182	* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' Tifa Lockhart does so to get information from Don Corneo, then Cloud and Aerith do it too to free Tifa.
183	* In ''Videogame/GrandTheftAutoV'', it's possible to get caught in a sting operation when picking up prostitutes.
184	* A T-rated variation in ''VideoGame/JakIIRenegade'': [[LaResistance The Underground]] is allied with local crime lord [[FatBastard Krew]], but since Torn doesn't trust him, he sends [[WrenchWench Tess]] to work at his saloon as a barmaid (and ''nothing else'') to pass his secrets along.
185	* In ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'', a supposed high class courtesan involved in the hunt for the [[BigBad King of Shadows]] is revealed to actually be a member of the [[PraetorianGuard Neverwinter Nine]] in a sting operation.
186	* Inverted in ''VideoGame/Lula3D'': Lula is a porn producer and prostitute who goes undercover at a strip bar to track down kidnapped actresses.
187	* Played with by ''VideoGame/MassEffect1''. One of the early Citadel missions involves a young woman working in Chora's Den, a sleazy, [[BadGuyBar mobster-owned strip club]] in the Wards (The heavily populated, urban sections of the Citdael). She is working at the club [[TheInfiltration to pass on information to the local police]], and she very specifically points out that she only serves drinks on the bar. Of course, she then complains that she could be earning more money by dancing.....
188	* ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'': While she wasn't necessarily hired as a stripper, [[TomboyPrincess Kumatora]] worked as a waitress at a night club in order to locate and rescue the amnesiac [[LoveableRogue Duster]].
189	[[/folder]]
190
191	[[folder:Visual Novel]]
192	* ''VisualNovel/ShallWeDateNinjaShadow'' has the SweetPollyOliver protagonist, Saori, do this once in a while as a part of her missions: her companions think [[DudeLooksLikeALady she's a girly-looking boy]] and often need her to get info and fulfill missions in the RedLightDistrict. [[spoiler:Toru Nakagawa's route begins with Saori pulling one of these missions, then meeting Toru and having him fall in LoveAtFirstSight with her...]]
193	[[/folder]]
194
195	[[folder:Web Comics]]
196	* Parodied in the ''[[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Gurren Lagann]]'' [[FanWebComics fan webcomic]] ''Webcomic/DoubleK'', in which ''Simon'' is sent in as the DirtyHarriet. ''[[RunningGag Repeatedly]]''.
197	* In ''Webcomic/TooMuchInformation2005'', Officer Friendly ends up undercover as a streetwalker, which both provides her with an excellent opportunity to get closer to [[TheAce Ace]] - by stating that it would really help her cover if she was seen getting into the sleek sports-car of an attractive young man - and provides BettyAndVeronica with a good opportunity to see Ace [[NotWhatItLooksLike drive around with a scantily-clad girl in his car]].
198	* Undercover cops posing as prostitutes became the topic of conversation in ''Webcomic/LeftoverSoup'' when ex-cop Cheryl is asked if she's ever done undercover work. She says she turned down the offer out of concern for her IdenticalTwin sister, and brings up the issue of how easily it can cross the line into entrapment--"you can't actually offer it...you have to just wear a short skirt and imply things." Jamie then asked if an undercover cop posing as a customer ever tried fake-soliciting an undercover cop posing as a prostitute, and how it turned out, prompting this response: [[MeetCute "Last I heard, they're married with five kids."]] (And a comment from the writer: "Admit it, you'd watch that movie.")
199	[[/folder]]
200
201	[[folder:Western Animation]]
202	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arcane}}'': Vi has Caitlyn pretend she works at the brothel in order to get info from people, saying it ought to be easy given she's a FairCop. Caitlyn is mortified at the idea, but goes along with it. It's implied Vi did that just to get Caitlyn out of the way while also [[{{Troll}} annoying her]], and Vi is visibly ([[AmbiguouslyGay but pleasantly]]) surprised later when she spots Caitlyn seemingly successfully chatting up with a female client.
203	* ''WesternAnimation/Patrol03'': Carmen once disguises herself as what is clearly meant to be a prostitute, as she wears makeup, goes to a male character in a truck parked in a bad neighborhood and entices him out with sexy talk.
204	* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'':
205	** Parodied when a (male) police detective goes undercover as a (female) streetwalker to bust a prostitution ring... and gets a [[BecomingTheMask bit too deep into the role]]. To the point of marrying the ([[HoYay also male]]) leader of the ring and only revealing that he's a cop after the honeymoon.
206	** Cartman goes undercover as a hooker when deputized by Barbrady so he can learn to read.
207	[[/folder]]
208
209	[[folder:Real Life]]
210	* US trucking companies that have policies against their truckers letting anyone into their cabs (especially prostitutes) have been known to hire undercover "lot lizards". These girls will target truckers from the company that hires them, and ask if they want a "bedtime story". If the trucker lets them into the cab, they get fired.
211	[[/folder]]

Context Main / DirtyHarriet