Study contends strip clubs aren't a magnet for crimes

The Seattle Times reports:

Seattle strip clubs released a study Friday purporting to show they don't cause any more crime than nearby taverns, minimarts or department stores.

The study analyzed eight years of police responses at three Seattle strip clubs and concluded "there is no evidence" they were "disproportionately more often the source of police attention" than other businesses.

"Crime does not tend to accompany, concentrate around, or be aggravated by these adult business," the study said.
On the ballot


Seattle voters will decide Nov. 7 whether to trash an ordinance imposing strict new rules on strip clubs. The rules require dancers to stay at least 4 feet from customers. Direct tipping is banned, and clubs are to install brighter lighting.

Supporters say the new restrictions will be easier for police to enforce and would discourage the proliferation of new strip clubs. Opponents argue the rules are overly moralistic and would destroy legitimate businesses.

The study was commissioned to buttress the clubs' referendum campaign to overturn a tough new strip-club ordinance the City Council approved last year. The ordinance requires dancers to stay 4 feet from patrons, bans direct tipping and calls for brighter lighting.

The Nanny City of Seattle.