Hearing as strip clubs, sexually-oriented businesses fight new rules of operation

By KTVT Staff

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    DALLAS (KTVT) — Happening Monday the City of Dallas and a group of business owners will be back in court for a hearing on new restrictions for sexually oriented businesses.

Back in January, the Dallas City Council approved an ordinance that would require all sexually oriented businesses to close between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.

The Dallas Police Department pushed for the change saying it would help boost public safety, since a large percentage of violent crime occurs at those establishments in the overnight hours.

Several business owners sued asking for a temporary restraining order but a judge said it wasn’t necessary since the ordinance isn’t currently in effect.

The business owners claim the move would cause them to take a huge financial hit and that DPD hasn’t provided enough evidence linking the clubs to the uptick in crime.

Mark Kirk, the manager of Tiger Cabaret said, “They should’ve made their decisions on facts not opinions.” Pointing to a countertop filled with paperwork he said, “Each one of these files represents a person. All of these people, if we have to stay closed, will lose their job.”

Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, and Plano already limit the hours of sexually oriented businesses within their city limits, for at least five hours a day.

Under the new rules sexually oriented businesses in Dallas that violate the ordinance could have their license suspended for 30 days.

The city will present its data to the judge Monday, March 7. So far, there’s no word on when the judge will make a decision in the case.

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