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Thread: New Houston Laws! Does anyone have more information on this?

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    Default New Houston Laws! Does anyone have more information on this?

    City to work with topless clubs on human trafficking
    By Chronicle staff |November 27, 2013
    15
    The city of Houston has reached a settlement with a group of strip clubs that would halt enforcement of the three-foot rule and allow dancers to be fully topless in exchange for an annual $1 million donation to help combat human trafficking, Mayor Annise Parker announced Wednesday.





    The money will fund a newly-created Houston Police Department unit dedicated solely to investigating human trafficking.


    The agreement, which must be approved by City Council, will bring an end to a series of lawsuits since the city passed its sexually oriented business ordinance in 1997. The settlement only applies to the 16 clubs involved in the negotiated agreement.


    Among the provisions of that ordinance was a rule requiring dancers to remain at least three feet from audience members. The law also required dancers to wear pasties, obtain licenses from the city, and prohibited clubs from having private so-called VIP rooms.


    Under the settlement, the businesses agreed to eliminate private rooms, train employees on human trafficking awareness and report all complaints of prostitution, indecent exposure and drug use to police.


    "Establishing a working relationship with these 16 clubs will assist law enforcement in reducing criminal activity, help us combat human trafficking and, hopefully, allow us to focus police resources on the rogue clubs," Parker said. "This settlement allows us to address the problem head on in a meaningful way with funding and staff."


    The city's sexually oriented business ordinance, passed in 1997, also requires strip clubs to operate at least 1,500 feet from schools, day cares, parks and churches.
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    Default Re: New Houston Laws! Does anyone have more information on this?

    Here's another article: http://www.statesman.com/ap/ap/crime...ficking/nb6C3/
    It adds: "Other provisions of the settlement include: eliminating all private rooms and areas in the clubs; ensuring the clubs don't hire dancers represented by someone who speaks or acts on their behalf; and not hiring people who have been convicted of drug or prostitution charges within 60 months of their proposed hiring."

    I'm willing to bet the source of these articles is a press release from the Mayor's office, and there'll be more info once it goes to vote at City Council.

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    Default Re: New Houston Laws! Does anyone have more information on this?

    The clubs can't hire any girls with prostitution or drug charges and they have to report any girls known to have pimps. The clubs are now running background checks before you can be hired so if you have any of those charges don't bother trying to work within the city of Houston because you won't be hired. A lot of girls at one of the Ricks where a friend of mine works were fired last night after the manager ran the checks. The police will be in these clubs monitoring the situation to make sure all rules are being followed. And yes the clubs have to open up their VIP areas if they are closed in. It has to be an entire open space where everyone can be seen. So it's changing for the better. That'll help clean up some of the crap that works in the clubs and now the money making will be higher again. Also there's no latex and full bottoms anymore and no 3 foot rule but you still have to abide by the lude dancing laws which means to be careful about touching yourself on stage and grinding on guys. Just topless with thongs again and all the nude places are back nude again. Treasures, Ricks and all the clubs under these establishments there have been given back their privileges.
    Last edited by anacol; 11-29-2013 at 03:27 PM.
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    Default Re: New Houston Laws! Does anyone have more information on this?

    ...shanna dior is right. Here is the Mayors press release. http://www.houstontx.gov/mayor/press/20131127.html

    November 27, 2013 -- Recognizing Houston is a hub for human trafficking, the City and 16 area topless clubs have entered into a novel settlement agreement aimed at addressing this heinous crime, ending litigation dating back to 1997 when City Council imposed new regulations on sexually-oriented businesses.

    “In the 16 years since City Council acted, no original clubs have closed and new clubs choosing to ignore our regulations have grown in number,” said Mayor Parker. “Establishing a working relationship with these 16 clubs will assist law enforcement in reducing criminal activity, help us combat human trafficking and, hopefully, allow us to focus police resources on the rogue clubs. This settlement allows us to address the problem head on in a meaningful way with funding and staff.”

    The 16 clubs will annually contribute more than one million dollars to a Human Trafficking Abatement Fund. The funds will be used to create and staff a human trafficking unit within the Vice Division of the Houston Police Department. In addition to contributing monies, these clubs must institute and adhere to certain restrictions and policies to aid in combatting human trafficking. For example:

    1. all private rooms and areas must be eliminated;
    2. a club may not knowingly employ, hire or contract for the services of an entertainer or dancer who is accompanied by another person who speaks for her, holds her identification, collects her pay for “safekeeping” or appears to exercise control, force, or coercion over the person;
    3. a club may not knowingly employ, hire or contract for the services of a person for whom a background check reveals a conviction within 60 months for a prostitution or drug offense;
    4. any individual convicted of a drug or prostitution offense, public lewdness or indecent exposure at a participating club is prohibited from working at any club that is a party to the agreement;
    5. any act of prostitution, public lewdness, indecent exposure or offense involving narcotics observed by or reported to a manager of a club will be reported to the City along with all remedial measures taken to ensure the activity is not repeated; and
    6. all clubs will provide annual human trafficking awareness training and disseminate materials regarding human trafficking awareness.

    In return, the City has agreed to allow these 16 clubs to continue operating at their same locations in much the same manner as they did prior to the 1997 ordinance. While topless entertainment and table dances will be allowed again, laws against public lewdness, prostitution, indecent exposure and narcotics offenses will continue to be strictly enforced. Arrests for these offenses are grounds for terminating a club from participating in this agreement.

    This agreement applies only to these 16 grandfathered clubs. Any other club offering sexually-oriented entertainment must still comply with the 1997 ordinance and all other regulatory provisions.



    ...anacol is right with two small corrections(please forgive me anacol).

    1. They dont have to report girls with pimps because thats hearsay. They have to not hire and fire girls when they "know" she has a pimp. And they wont "know" , for example, unless the girl brags a lot about it, posts real evidence online, or is part of an ongoing legal/criminal issue with an accused/known pimp. Dont get me wrong, managers will know who probably has one but its not their job to go confirm it. So its "unknown" and not "known".
    2. The criminal check applies only to these 16 clubs listed below. All other clubs in the city limits are not part of that requirement. All other clubs are still under current ordinances which means they will not get a club SOB license and girls will still wear pasties and shorts in all other clubs in the city limits. A conviction for a drug offense could prevent a lot of girls from working. And if a girl gets arrested she should never plea bargain "guilty" as that could prevent her from working in the 16 clubs which are the better clubs in town.

    These 16 clubs now can operate pre 1997 rules. No pasties and g-strings are ok. No 3-foot rule now as was previously mentioned. Also, no dancer license is required at these 16 clubs since that requirement was created in 1997. These 16 clubs can be less than 1500 feet from a church school,etc... Pre-1997 distance might have been 500 or 750 feet, i cant remember, lol. "No private vip rooms" means small rooms/private booths where managers cant see whats going on from across the room will be removed. Larger open vip rooms should be safe. I hear some private rooms have already been removed in a few clubs.

    These changes should bring more guys back in the 16 clubs. The other city clubs will lose business and girls as they gravitate to the 16 clubs. Clubs outside the city limits, such as St James and HeartBreakers, are not in the Houston City Limits. They are in Harris County and fall under county ordinances (not city ordinances)which means they still need dancer licenses, back ground checks, etc...

    With the million dollars extortion money paid to the city, 9 more vice officers will be hired. The 16 wont get a free pass but the heat should be less if managers try to run things cleaner. ...my 2 cents.

    http://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/ar...afficking.html

    The g-string, no 3 foot and no latex 16 clubs:
    Centerfolds (6166 Richmond)
    Chicas Locas (8100 North Freeway)
    Club Onyx (3113 Bering)
    Colorado Bar and Grill (6710 Southwest Freeway)
    Cover Girls (10310 West Little York)
    Gold Cup (12747 Northwest Freeway)
    The Men's Club (3303 Sage)
    Michael's International (6440 Southwest Freeway)
    Rick's Cabaret North (410 N. Sam Houston Parkway)
    Rick's Sports Cabaret (9009 Airport)
    Ritz Houston (10520 Gulf Freeway)
    Splendor (7440 W. Greens)
    Sunset Strip (2425 Mangum)
    Treasures (5647 Westheimer)
    Trophy Club (1050 Rankin)
    XTC North (11415 North Freeway)
    "Peter, did you take Stewie to a strip-club? He smells like sweat and fear." - Lois and Stewie (Family Guy) ... "Through early morning fog I see, Visions of the things to be, The pains that are withheld for me, I realize and I can see..."

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    Default Re: New Houston Laws! Does anyone have more information on this?

    Quote Originally Posted by WiseGuy_TX View Post
    ...shanna dior is right. Here is the Mayors press release. http://www.houstontx.gov/mayor/press/20131127.html

    November 27, 2013 -- Recognizing Houston is a hub for human trafficking, the City and 16 area topless clubs have entered into a novel settlement agreement aimed at addressing this heinous crime, ending litigation dating back to 1997 when City Council imposed new regulations on sexually-oriented businesses.

    “In the 16 years since City Council acted, no original clubs have closed and new clubs choosing to ignore our regulations have grown in number,” said Mayor Parker. “Establishing a working relationship with these 16 clubs will assist law enforcement in reducing criminal activity, help us combat human trafficking and, hopefully, allow us to focus police resources on the rogue clubs. This settlement allows us to address the problem head on in a meaningful way with funding and staff.”

    The 16 clubs will annually contribute more than one million dollars to a Human Trafficking Abatement Fund. The funds will be used to create and staff a human trafficking unit within the Vice Division of the Houston Police Department. In addition to contributing monies, these clubs must institute and adhere to certain restrictions and policies to aid in combatting human trafficking. For example:

    1. all private rooms and areas must be eliminated;
    2. a club may not knowingly employ, hire or contract for the services of an entertainer or dancer who is accompanied by another person who speaks for her, holds her identification, collects her pay for “safekeeping” or appears to exercise control, force, or coercion over the person;
    3. a club may not knowingly employ, hire or contract for the services of a person for whom a background check reveals a conviction within 60 months for a prostitution or drug offense;
    4. any individual convicted of a drug or prostitution offense, public lewdness or indecent exposure at a participating club is prohibited from working at any club that is a party to the agreement;
    5. any act of prostitution, public lewdness, indecent exposure or offense involving narcotics observed by or reported to a manager of a club will be reported to the City along with all remedial measures taken to ensure the activity is not repeated; and
    6. all clubs will provide annual human trafficking awareness training and disseminate materials regarding human trafficking awareness.

    In return, the City has agreed to allow these 16 clubs to continue operating at their same locations in much the same manner as they did prior to the 1997 ordinance. While topless entertainment and table dances will be allowed again, laws against public lewdness, prostitution, indecent exposure and narcotics offenses will continue to be strictly enforced. Arrests for these offenses are grounds for terminating a club from participating in this agreement.

    This agreement applies only to these 16 grandfathered clubs. Any other club offering sexually-oriented entertainment must still comply with the 1997 ordinance and all other regulatory provisions.



    ...anacol is right with two small corrections(please forgive me anacol).

    1. They dont have to report girls with pimps because thats hearsay. They have to not hire and fire girls when they "know" she has a pimp. And they wont "know" , for example, unless the girl brags a lot about it, posts real evidence online, or is part of an ongoing legal/criminal issue with an accused/known pimp. Dont get me wrong, managers will know who probably has one but its not their job to go confirm it. So its "unknown" and not "known".
    2. The criminal check applies only to these 16 clubs listed below. All other clubs in the city limits are not part of that requirement. All other clubs are still under current ordinances which means they will not get a club SOB license and girls will still wear pasties and shorts in all other clubs in the city limits. A conviction for a drug offense could prevent a lot of girls from working. And if a girl gets arrested she should never plea bargain "guilty" as that could prevent her from working in the 16 clubs which are the better clubs in town.

    These 16 clubs now can operate pre 1997 rules. No pasties and g-strings are ok. No 3-foot rule now as was previously mentioned. Also, no dancer license is required at these 16 clubs since that requirement was created in 1997. These 16 clubs can be less than 1500 feet from a church school,etc... Pre-1997 distance might have been 500 or 750 feet, i cant remember, lol. "No private vip rooms" means small rooms/private booths where managers cant see whats going on from across the room will be removed. Larger open vip rooms should be safe. I hear some private rooms have already been removed in a few clubs.

    These changes should bring more guys back in the 16 clubs. The other city clubs will lose business and girls as they gravitate to the 16 clubs. Clubs outside the city limits, such as St James and HeartBreakers, are not in the Houston City Limits. They are in Harris County and fall under county ordinances (not city ordinances)which means they still need dancer licenses, back ground checks, etc...

    With the million dollars extortion money paid to the city, 9 more vice officers will be hired. The 16 wont get a free pass but the heat should be less if managers try to run things cleaner. ...my 2 cents.

    http://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/ar...afficking.html

    The g-string, no 3 foot and no latex 16 clubs:
    Centerfolds (6166 Richmond)
    Chicas Locas (8100 North Freeway)
    Club Onyx (3113 Bering)
    Colorado Bar and Grill (6710 Southwest Freeway)
    Cover Girls (10310 West Little York)
    Gold Cup (12747 Northwest Freeway)
    The Men's Club (3303 Sage)
    Michael's International (6440 Southwest Freeway)
    Rick's Cabaret North (410 N. Sam Houston Parkway)
    Rick's Sports Cabaret (9009 Airport)
    Ritz Houston (10520 Gulf Freeway)
    Splendor (7440 W. Greens)
    Sunset Strip (2425 Mangum)
    Treasures (5647 Westheimer)
    Trophy Club (1050 Rankin)
    XTC North (11415 North Freeway)
    You basically restated what I already said.
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