Permitting Puttanas To Ply Their Craft

Is it time to legalize prostitution in New Jersey?

Every week there’s a new crackdown on massage parlors.

I have a suggestion.

Why not have the state differentiate between massage parlors and brothels, regulate both and the women (or, gasp!, men!) who work there?

Licenced massage therapists and licensed prostitutas!

Seems workable; but unlikely.

According to this report, there was a recent crackdown in Edgewater on massage parlor employees and owners.

Were the state to regulate the “lady of the night” industry, you could conceivably take the criminal element out of the equation…with the hefty side benefit of a shot in the arm to the state’s coffers.

The report cites Edgewater boro officials are hoping to weed out covert prostitution operations by requiring employees and owners of massage parlors to undergo criminal background checks.

Borough officials discussed stepping up enforcement following a recent countywide prostitution sting that led to the arrest of 27 individuals, most of whom were cited at massage parlors, including five locations in Edgewater.

In addition to the background checks, the owners would have to apply for business licenses and could have their establishments shut down indefinitely if an employee is caught promoting or engaging in prostitution, under a proposed ordinance.

(So now you’ll have licensed massage parlors AND licensed brothels…and of course, all will have to undergo criminal background checks.)

On March 26, seven people were arrested at five massage parlors in town. Three ‑ Aqua Spa, World Spa and Jade Spa ‑ were within a half mile of each other on River Road.

About a half-dozen massage parlors exist in Edgewater, officials said.

One official said, “It’s certainly a way to keep the unprofessional types of businesses out of the community”.

In another reported bust….Galloway police arrest two women for prostitution at Route 30 massage parlor

According to this report, two Galloway women were arrested in April and charged with prostitution after soliciting undercover police officers at a White Horse Pike massage parlor.

Jin Lua Li and Lian Cui were arrested after a two-week investigation into alleged prostitution at Hands On Day Spa.

Lt. Paul Dooner said police received a tip about the activity, and after an undercover investigation they arrested the two women on April 18. They were charged and released on court summonses.

Police also seized several hundred dollars in cash. Dooner said no other employees or the business owners were charged.

Much like the war on drugs, don’t you feel the war on prostitution is a war we’re throwing thousands of dollars at, and still not winning?

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