DALLAS (1080 KRLD)- The Dallas City Council has unanimously passed limits on hours "sexually oriented businesses" can be open. The council passed the measure unanimously Wednesday afternoon, requiring strip clubs to close from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.
"We want to be clear about this: We're not shutting anybody down by this action we're taking today," says Mayor Eric Johnson. "We're just saying the same thing the nightlife establishments across our city say every night: At 2 a.m., the party's over."
Dallas Police say the change would help in the department's work to reduce violent crime. Chief Eddie Garcia formed a task force in March of 2021 to look at ways to reduce crime around strip clubs and other adult businesses. The task force came back with the recommendation to restrict hours.
Fort Worth, Plano, El Paso and San Antonio have similar rules in place.
"It's quite simply a contemporary standard in this lawful industry that occurs in other parts of the State of Texas," Garcia says. "We want them to continue their success between the hours of 6 a.m. and 2 a.m."
The rule also forbids sexually oriented businesses from hiring anyone under the age of 21. Johnson says that matches a state law that aims to combat human trafficking.
Outside the meeting, a few dozen protestors waved signs reading, "single moms need to work," and "crime knows no time."
"This is how we pay our bills," one man who works as a host at a club said. "If they shut us down at 2 o'clock, they'll take a lot away from us."
Many protesting outside said their busiest hours are 2 to 5 a.m.
"There's no problem with what we're doing," one woman said. "There's nothing illegal. There's nothing going on inside that building that is harming this city in any way."
Another says working late hours allows her to be with her son during the day.
"It helped me stay with my son all day. I'd get home when he was asleep, and he never knew I was gone," she says.
Councilman Chad West voted in favor of the measure, but he says he worries the limits will negatively impact businesses that have worked to prevent crime problems.
"I'm concerned there might be businesses we are unfairly shutting down because they're falling under the blanket umbrella ordinance that's being passed today," he said.
Councilman Omar Narvaez says he understood complaints from people who work at the businesses. He says he wants to ensure those who will be affected know about and have access to services like childcare, rental assistance and workforce assistance.
"This process was flawed, mayor. It was too fast," he says. "But this industry is an easy target because of our quote-unquote morals."
Narvaez credited Garcia with working to reduce violent crime in the city, saying policy work is not Garcia's job, but Narvaez says, "crime is still going to happen. Unfortunately, the crime is going to go underground."
"I can tell you, time and time again, I call Code [Compliance], and I call DPD about the underground illegal parties and illegal clubs and illegal gambling that's happening in this warehouse district, and we haven't been able to get it done, and now it's going to get harder."
Johnson called the limits a "measured and pro-active" response to try to reduce crime around sexually oriented businesses.
"We're putting a burden on our public safety personnel, both our police and our firefighters who have to respond to these incidents connected with our businesses," Johnson says.
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