SAN DIEGO —
San Diego is set to crack down on the massage industry amid complaints of illegal activity.
“We understand a lot of the people that are there are victims and we want to make sure we're offering them resources they need to get out of this industry,” said Councilman Chris Cate.
Cate spent the last year working on proposed legislation to clean up the industry throughout San Diego.
“If you go to Convoy, for example, you see a lot of massage establishments that are in interesting and precarious locations,” he said. “We want to make sure all those participating in illegal activities are held accountable.”
Last year, San Diego police officers went undercover at massage businesses 87 times. They issued citations for prostitution during 50 stings. Another 20 were cited for other violations like wearing revealing clothing or inappropriate touching.
That means 80% of visits resulted in police taking action.
“[In] one case involving one individual, she went to jail because [she was] arrested twice for prostitution in less than two weeks,” said San Diego Police Department Lt. Andrea Brown.
The new rules would require massage businesses to get a permit from the police. It also mandates inspections and background checks to make sure they weren't shut down in another city.
The fees are lower for traditional shops, but some independent massage therapists complained it now adds a $124 fee for them.
Still the public safety committee passed the resolution to the city council citing the need to crack down on human trafficking.
“We want to make sure we're not impacting them negatively,” said Councilman Cate. “I think we came to a good balance in the rules that we're putting forward.”
The San Diego City Council is slated to vote on the resolution on Tuesday.