Strip clubs and other sexually oriented businesses in Dallas may soon have restrictions on when they are open in town.
The police are currently working on recommendations to the city council as to when such business can be operated. Police said the new opening hours are intended to help curb crime in and around strip clubs and other sex-based businesses in the city.
Dallas does not currently have any rules on when sexually oriented businesses can be operated. For example, the closing time for strip clubs can be between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. The law enforcement agency must approve licenses for all sexually oriented business in Dallas.
Councilor Adam Bazaldua described the proposed change to the town’s rules as a public safety and health issue. He noted that Dallas is already planning to adapt its city code to a new state law that will raise the minimum age for sexually oriented businesspeople from 18 to 21.
“This is to create the opportunity to better regulate the operating hours of companies where criminal activity has been detected and where it has occurred most frequently,” said Bazaldua on Monday during a meeting of the council committee.
Police have evidence linking some of the companies to human trafficking, he said, and the department will provide city officials with data supporting their recommendations.
No data was presented on Monday. He said at some point next month city council members would hear the police recommendations, all relevant statistics and possible legal challenges.
Several cities in Texas have such restrictions. Plano, Grand Prairie, and El Paso all require shops to close at 2 a.m. and open between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.
In Fort Worth, they cannot open before 10 a.m. and must close at 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday. They can close until 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays if they have a valid food permit.
Bazaldua said there could be exceptions to Dallas’ restrictions, such as sex retail stores that are already open 24 hours.
Councilor Omar Narvaez said he needed more information before deciding on the proposal. Sex work, he said, should not be viewed as derogatory or shameful and felt it was unfair to portray all sexually oriented business as a cause of crime.
“I don’t want it to look like we’re targeting one type of business and thinking that this will solve our crime problem because it isn’t,” he said. “We can’t target a company just because of our moral problems or, in our opinion, an easy win when it comes to doing something as a city.”
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