Licenced or not, YRP chief made it his mission:
Tougher bylaws to fight prostitution in York Region massage parlours have cut organized-crime profits by tens of millions of dollars over the past few years, according to York Region Police Chief Armand La Barge. The practice of prostitution at body-rub parlours peaked in 2003, when it pulled in an estimated $75 million for criminal groups, La Barge said. โWe think it's dropped down into the tens of millions (annually) now.โ Under the new bylaws, massage parlours and โhealth clinicsโ have restricted hours, and doors to massage rooms must have windows. Attendants must be licensed and of legal age. The bylaws give a justice of the peace power to issue a closure order, which saves police the risk and expense of an undercover operation, La Barge said. Massage-parlour prostitution is a money-maker for many GTA organized-crime groups, said Anthony Saldutto, president of Detek Investigative Group in Concord.
โIt's become a mishmash, melting pot of every type of organized crime,โ he said. โThey're all working together right now.โ
La Barge bristled at the perception that prostitution is a victimless crime, saying police have found 15- and 16-year-old runaways working in body-rub parlours, as well as HIV-infected adults. โThe health hazards associated with these places are incredible.โ Some of the women were duped into coming to Canada, told they'd be given jobs in the health field, while others were forced to work there to pay off debts for their passage here, he said. Still others were drawn to the parlours by the promise of high tax-free earnings. Some parlours and bogus health clinics had ATMs in their front lobbies, and workers clad in high heels and negligees. Now, prostitution is moving into private homes, drawing clients through blogs and word of mouth, and into manicure shops. โThey're trying to pop up under the guise of nail clinics,โ La Barge said.
Source: The Toronto Star, July 14, โMassage parlour laws cut crime. Prostitution down, says chiefโ