Contact: David Weaver or Mary Anderson, 240-777-6530
For Immediate Release: August 2, 2001

Duncan Announces Crack Down On Massage Parlors;
Multi-Agency Task Force Begins Enforcement of New Law

At a ceremonial bill signing, Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan announced today that a multi-agency enforcement effort is underway to close down illegal massage parlors in the County using a new law that imposes tough licensing requirements for massage establishments. The law cracks down on massage parlors and spas that are fronts for prostitution, while protecting legitimate massage businesses where state-licensed practitioners conduct certified massage therapy.

“The owners and operators of these houses of prostitution have thumbed their noses at the law for long enough,” Duncan said. “However, that ends today and we’re here to put people on notice that our enforcement agents intend to use every legal tool available to them to shut these places down once and for all.”

The multi-agency team includes the Montgomery County Police Department, the Department of Health and Human Services-Licensure and Regulatory Services, the County Attorney’s Office, the State’s Attorney’s Office, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services, the Department of Permitting Services and the Department of Housing and Community Affairs-Code Enforcement Section.

“On behalf of the County Council, I want to express my pleasure on this occasion that the Executive and the Council quickly agreed to act on the issue of massage parlors,” said County Council President Blair Ewing. “The law is fair to those who operate legitimate massage operations, equip the police with the tools they need to stop the use of some of these parlors for prostitution, and will protect our county and our neighborhoods from illegal activities.”

“The enactment and enforcement of this law is a prime example of government agencies working together, under the leadership of the County Executive,” said State’s Attorney Douglas F. Gansler, “and it is a collaborative effort to improve the quality of life throughout the County, particularly in the central business districts.”

“These illicit businesses have been destroying the livability of our communities,” said Police Chief Charles A. Moose. “This law will give our investigators the ability to more successfully and more permanently solve the myriad of problems they have caused and to prevent other similar businesses from opening in Montgomery County.”

“Today and every day from now on, the Department of Health and Human Services will be working with the Montgomery County Police Department to aggressively enforce this new law,” said Charles L. Short, Director of the Department of Health and Human Services. “In addition, we will make the services of our Victim Assistance and Sexual Assault Program available to any of the workers who are in need.”

The new law requires massage providers who are not certified by the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners to be licensed by the County and to be subject to the following requirements, which include:

• Fingerprint, photo and background checks;

• Massage on persons of the same sex only;

• Penalties for violations of the law, with fines of up to $1,000.

• Be licensed by the County, providing name, address and description of the facility, along with the massage history of the establishment’s owner;

• Be subject to fingerprint, photo and background checks of owners and managers;

• Be properly zoned for the neighborhood;

• Post a sign at the entrance of the establishment;

• Provide a wash basin in each room and meet other health and sanitation standards;

• Maintain a registry of clients; and

• Be subject to penalties for violations, ranging from fines to revocation of the County license.

To ensure that the massive enforcement effort was not compromised, Duncan signed the massage bill into law without fanfare yesterday. The law will complement current criminal laws and assist police officers and prosecutors in their ongoing effort to crack down on prostitution in Montgomery County.