Entries Tagged 'Chicago massage parlors' ↓

Council balks at massage parlor ordinance
Posted by Hal Dardick and John Byrne at 5:30 p.m.Facing opposition from licensed massage therapists and business interests, the City Council today balked at approving a measure that would have prevented the opening of massage establishments on blocks that are mostly residential.Ald. Ray Suarez, 31st, had proposed the ordinance, citing his concern over prostitution businesses masquerading as massage establishments. He said he had trouble with such a situation in his ward.Ald. Joe Moore, 49th, however, said he had heard from many massage therapists opposed to the ordinance.
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“Not only is this ordinance unnecessary, but it does not specifically address one of the key issues it is set out to stop,” said Kim Schilf, president and CEO of the Lincoln Park chamber. “Massage parlors are licensed, taxpaying businesses in Chicago and deserve the support of the community.”
The proposed ordinance would ban massage parlors in confined business districts that essentially serve the surrounding neighborhoods. They will be allowed in areas that have more commercial development. A council committee had recommended approval.

See the full article from “Chicago Tribune (blog)”

Chicago Aldermen Consider Massage Parlor Ordinance
Updated: Monday, 12 Apr 2010, 4:34 PM CDTPublished : Monday, 12 Apr 2010, 4:31 PM CDT
Sun-Times Media Wire
Chicago – A crackdown on prostitutes masquerading as massage therapists was massaged Monday to avoid putting legitimate operators out of business.
After a barrage of complaints from hairdressers, nail salons and health clubs, the City Council’s Zoning Committee on Monday watered-down the ordinance championed by Ald. Ray Suarez (31st).
Suarez original version would have prohibited massage services from being offered on neighborhood business strips. They would have been limited to areas with commercial zoning designations, allowing car dealers, gas stations and other heavy business uses.
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Suarez proposed the change after going to court to revoke the license of an illegal sex parlor in the 2200 block of North Cicero that, he claimed, was pretending to be a massage parlor.

See the full article from “MyFox Chicago”

CHICAGO – (Business Wire) The livelihoods of more than 8,000 licensed massage therapists in Chicago and Illinois may be endangered if the Chicago City Council approves a resolution scheduled for a vote in Wednesday’s (April 14) City Council meeting.
The ordinance, presented by Ald. Ray Suarez (D-31st) bans licensed massage therapists from opening new businesses in business districts zoned B-1 and B-2.
“While the intent of this proposed ordinance to prevent indecent behavior in so-called ‘massage parlors’ is admirable, the ordinance as presently constituted does not address the issue of illicit activity,” said Tracy Smodilla, LMT, Chair, Government Relations Committee, for the American Massage Therapy Association-Illinois Chapter (AMTA-IL) www.amta-il.org.
“Instead, its effect will be to jeopardize a licensed element of Chicago’s business community that provides quality, well-paying jobs and a sought after service in almost all of Chicago’s 50 wards,” Smodilla continued. “In many cases, the services provided by massage parlors are prescribed by doctors or physicians and are necessary for individuals to live a normal life.”

See the full article from “Earthtimes (press release)”

Aldermen endorse restriction on massage parlors
Worried about prostitution, council members back ban on massage businesses in areas that are mostly residential
Chicago aldermen worried about prostitution rings masquerading as massage parlors endorsed a measure Monday to ban massage businesses in areas that are mostly residential.
The ordinance approved by the City Council Zoning Committee would ban massage parlors in confined business districts that essentially serve just the surrounding neighborhood. They would be allowed in areas with more commercial development.
The action amends a previously proposed ordinance that would have enacted a broader ban and was opposed by therapeutic massage therapists who said it would damage their ability to do business. The newer measure, unlike the previous one, was endorsed by Mayor Richard Daley’s administration. It is scheduled to go before the full council Wednesday.

See the full article from “Chicago Tribune”

Officers raid 13 Indy massage parlors
Updated: Monday, 12 Apr 2010, 11:08 PM EDTPublished : Monday, 12 Apr 2010, 9:48 PM EDT
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Indianapolis police, firefighters, code enforcement and the health department raided 13 parlors Monday morning looking for illegal activity and other violations. Scroll below the story to see a list of the massage parlors targeted by the raids. Authorities didn’t make any arrests in Monday’s sweep, but they did issue 73 violations.
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Police said many times the women who work at the massage parlors are forced to offer sex for money.
“The women who work in these illegitimate massage parlors are human trafficked into the country,” Bannon said.
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Code enforcement also said most of the raided massage parlors and its workers are not licensed to practice in the state. The massage parlors raided include:

See the full article from “WISH”

AT CITY HALL THIS MORNING, ACTION ON MASSAGE PARLORS
AT CITY HALL THIS MORNING, ACTION ON MASSAGE PARLORS. 
Bill Cameron, WLS News, ReportingApril 12, 2010
CITY HALL IS BACKPEDDLING A BIT ON A RECENT CRACKDOWN ON MASSAGE PARLORS.
MESSAGE THERAPIST JASON BORECKI TOLD THE ALDERMEN IN THE CITY COUNCIL ZONING COMMITTEE THAT THE PROSTITUTION IN THE ILLICIT MASSAGE PARLORS SHOULD NOT PUNISH HIM.
 HE SAID, “WE DON’T FRONT STRANGE, WIERD SERVICES TO PEOPLE.  IT’S LIKE THEY COME TO US AND SAY WE HAVE A HEADACHE, AND I SAY, “YA KNOW, I THINK I CAN HELP YA OUT.” 
AND SO THE ALDERMEN VOTED TO ALLOW MASSAGE THERAPY IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS.. 

See the full article from “WLS”

13 Massage Parlors Targeted In Indianapolis Sweep
Multi-Agency Sweep Puts Regulatory Pressure On Businesses
POSTED: 1:08 pm EDT April 12, 2010
INDIANAPOLIS — Thirteen Indianapolis massage parlors were targeted in a multi-agency sweep on Monday as part of the city’s effort to curb prostitution at those businesses.
The parlors were targeted because of the nature of their advertising, the number of prior police runs and arrests there, 6News’ Jack Rinehart reported.
Six of the parlors had prostitution arrests last week. Some of the businesses had multiple violations, including a lack of proper business licenses and licenses for therapists. Some violated the fire code, along with zoning issues and sign violations.
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The city doesn’t know how many illicit massage parlors there are in Indianapolis because they pop up in different places frequently and without regulatory approval.

See the full article from “WRTV Indianapolis”

April 12, 2010
Chicago aldermen target massage parlors
Posted by Hal Dardick at 1:07 p.m.
Chicago aldermen attempting to prevent prostitution offered under the guise of massage services today endorsed a measure to ban massage businesses in locations that are mostly residential.
The ordinance approved by the City Council Zoning Committee would ban massage parlors in confined business districts that essentially serve just the surrounding neighborhood. They would be allowed in areas that have more commercial development.
Today’s action amends a previously proposed ordinance that would have enacted a broader ban and was opposed by therapeutic massage therapists who said it would damage their ability to do business. The newer measure was endorsed by Mayor Richard Daley’s administration, unlike the previous one. It is scheduled to go before the full council Wednesday.David Penn, an executive with the Massage Envy chain that is expanding in the city, said the proposal would prevent his company from doing business in some areas — without doing much to address the problem of prostitution.The proposal “doesn’t really solve the problem of the kind of illicit activities that you have,” he said.

See the full article from “Chicago Tribune (blog)”

Georgia: Public hearing is set on massage parlor rules in Macon. The ordinance would require any employees in massage parlor and bodywork shops to be state-licensed massage therapists to obtain a business license. The rule is also aimed at fighting against human trafficking and prostitution involved in massage parlors.  
Washington: The founder of Shared Hope International, Linda Smith, assist the lawmakers to pass the bill to punish John and prevent victims from revictimization. According to the report, teenagers become incarcerated over and over again while Johns are waved off. The bill, if implemented, would allow John’s vehicle to be impounded. Also, the teens would be sent to social services upon first offense and would not be treated as criminal offenders. 
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Cambodia: Police raid massage parlors in Ratanakkiri. The authorities shut down 27 karaoke and massage parlors. The authority also said that he was concerned that the employees would be lured into another false promise of traffickers if they ended up not finding a job. 

See the full article from “Examiner.com”

I would like to comment on an article published in the Yuma Sun which stated that the people from the Smile Spa Massage in Somerton were performing some “legitimate” massages in addition to providing illegal sexual services. No self-respecting licensed massage therapist would work in a “massage parlor.”
For your information, Arizona has had a massage therapy board for about six years now. Only those people who are licensed are supposed to be performing massage therapy or calling themselves massage therapists.
When I first read about this incident, I checked with the Arizona State Board of Massage Therapy and not one of those “massage therapists” names came up as being licensed.
If you would like to find a qualified massage therapist in your area, visit the Arizona Massage Therapy Board Web site at www.massageboard.az.gov and click on “Find a Therapist”. It will give you a choice to type in a person’s first name, last name or city, state and ZIP code.

See the full article from “Yuma Sun”