On Thursday, Dallas police began to enforce a new sexually-oriented business ordinance in the city. This ordinance sets limits on the times that businesses like strip clubs, escort services, and adult book and video stores can operate.
The ordinance, which was passed by Dallas City councilmen in January 2022, notes that these businesses must be closed from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.
After the first day of the ordinance’s implementation, all of the businesses in Dallas were in compliance. This may because all licensed sexually -oriented businesses had been sent a letter outlining the revised ordinance. In addition to that, they all had been visited ahead of time so that they were informed.
The Dallas Police Department has long argued that there is a connection to the hours of operation of these businesses and crime statistics.
They cited that from the end of 2020 to 2021, there were multiple shootings in and close to Dallas that were near sexually- oriented businesses. Several people died in those occurrences. Authorities then decided to patrol close to these establishments on busy evenings after 12 a.m.
After the operation was in motion for eight months, in 2021, there were 123 felony apprehensions, 134 calls for assistance, more than 1,100 citations given, and 350 weapons and drug confiscations.
Documents show that from 2019 to 2021, nearly 67% of all aggravated assaults, rapes, robberies, and murders that happened from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. in Dallas were about 500 ft. away from sexually- oriented businesses. In 2021, that number rose to 76%.
