pf08-014 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

` Ms. Sangeeta Kurupillai `` . Apri129, 1997 Page 2 �, There are two primary ways in which SOBs affect the neighborhood: one is by their presence, including signage and advertising, and the other is by the hours they keep and the type of people they attract. Their presence influences the public's per�eption of the neighborhood in which they are located. SOBs "can create `dead zones' in commercial areas where shoppers do not want to be associated in any way with adult uses, or have their children walk by adult uses."� This influence appears to be the same whether the dancers are appearing in a state of nudity or semi-nudity. The public perception is that it is a place to be avoided by families with women and children. The second major in�luence is the hours of operation and the type of people which SOBs attract. This appears to lead to higher crime in the area, loitering by unsavory people, including pmstitutes, and parking problems which can negatively affect the surrounding businesses. Additionally, there is frequently parking lot noise and disturbances which often turn violent The SOBs keep late hours which can also become a nuisance to neazby residents. We studied police calls for service emanating from 10 different SOBs over a four-year period from 1993 through 1996 and found that SOBs were a major source of such calls. The seven SOBs along West Northwest Highway near Bachman Lake averaged more than one call to the {i police everyday. We also studied sex-related arrests for the four-year period ending March 1997. The number of sex crime arrests which included rape, prostitution/commercial vice and other sex of�enses, was 396 in the area along West Northwest Highway which includes the seven SOBs. This compares to 77 and 133 sex crime arrests respectively in two similaz areas along Northwest Highway, the second of which contained two SOBs spaced more than a'/2 mile from the other. From this evidence, it appears that there are increased sex crime arrests and disturbances requiring police presence around SOBs and significantly more crime when there is a concentration of SOBs in one area. We reviewed studies completed in numerous other cities xncluding Austin, Los Angeles, Indianapolis, New York, and Phoenix on the effects of adult entertainment on the surrounding properties. In addition, we reviewed summaries of similar studies completed in Islip, New York; St. Paul, Minnesota; Whittier, California; Manatee County, Florida and New Hanover County, North Carolina. Finally, we did extensive research regarding the SOBs in Dallas. Adult Enterlainment Study, Department of City Planning, City of New York, 1994, p. 3. Q6/12/97 15:30 TX/RX N0.5591 P. 3