City OKs Regulation on Escort Services

Saying it would aid police in tracking people committing crimes while using escort services, the City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved an ordinance that will require clients to give personal identification when using such businesses.

The vote means clients of escort services must give their name, address and telephone number to owners of a business that has traditionally thrived on secrecy.

Council members called the ordinance sound and said forcing clients to disclose information does not violate constitutional rights to privacy.

“What the ordinance does is allow the business to keep this information in a file,” said Councilman Murray Rosenbluth.

“The only way we’d want to see the information is if there was some sort of public health, public safety or public welfare issue. In those cases, the city manager would make the request for information. And if the service objects, we would have to go to a court in the area to seek those records.”

Police Chief Steve Campbell said the ordinance was proposed after a woman approached authorities last year seeking information on obtaining a license to run an escort service.