San Jose Massage Parlors: In Belmont, 80 percent of massage therapists suspected of prostitution
Halleran said investigations of massage parlors are labor intensive and, in recent years, police have suspended operations of a few for code violations but made no arrests.
The City Council on Tuesday will consider adopting an urgency ordinance to place a moratorium on any new massage practitioners for the following 45 days. The council would vote on Aug. 10 extend the ban through July 2011.
“I guess I was surprised that it was that blatant,” said City Councilman Dave Warden.
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It is unclear whether the problem is especially rampant in Belmont, where there are 10 massage parlors, or if the city is merely alone in researching its massage therapists. No other cities in San Mateo County have approved similar moratoriums in recent weeks.
In San Mateo and Burlingame, at least, no inventories of those cities’ massage parlors have been conducted, officials said.