Paso Robles City Council will look at a proposal on Tuesday to further regulate massage parlors in an attempt to combat prostitution.
For years, residents have complained that several of the city’s massage parlors are fronts for organized prostitution. These complaints led to a sweep of nine massage parlors in 2012.
However, even though officers discovered employees illegally living on the premises, lacey negligees, hand sanitizer, baby oil and mouth wash, they found no one in the act of prostitution. No one was cited.
Last year, the Paso Robles Police Department asked the City Council to pass new rules giving the department the tools it needs to battle massage parlor prostitution. The tools suggested included appropriate attire, new massage parlor fees to be spent on inspections and required background checks.
But massage parlor owners fought back claiming legal parlors were being unfairly targeted.
At Tuesday’s meeting a compromise will be discussed. The suggested new rules include dropping the business inspection fee, less stringent requirements and no additional rules for therapists licensed through the state. If the rules are passed, non-certified therapists will be required to pay for background checks and fingerprinting.
