Clamping down on escort services in Surf City

Jose Paul Corona

Police hope to crack down on escort services starting up here in

Huntington Beach.

At the request of the police department, and following a 6-0 vote by

the City Council Monday night, city staff will draft an ordinance that

would require escort services to follow a more formalized procedure when

applying for business licenses.

The ordinance would place more restriction on escort services.

Currently, an escort service can go into business within the city by

merely obtaining a business license. The new licensing procedure would

allow the police to more closely monitor these types of businesses, which

they say often act as fronts for prostitution.

The new procedure would also discourage escort services from setting

up in the city. Under the new ordinance each escort service owner and

each individual employee of the service would have to obtain a permit and

license.