Sunday, October 04, 2009
News, In this Issue..., Atlanta

Atlanta police answer questions about Eagle raid

Documents indicate gay bars are not targeted, but maybe straight massage parlors are

By Stephanie Ramage
   
In an effort to answer questions about anti-gay sentiments in the Atlanta Police Department and how the police enforce certain laws—questions prompted by the Sept. 10 police raid on the Atlanta Eagle, a gay bar—The Sunday Paper, pursuant to our rights under the Georgia Open Records Act, recently asked the APD:

--What are the names and locations of clubs, bars and adult businesses raided by the APD from Jan. 1, 2007 until Sept. 10, 2009? What violations were found at those businesses?
--Why were Atlanta Eagle patrons who were reported by police to be engaged in sex acts at the bar on multiple police visits prior to the raid not arrested and charged with public indecency?

The APD answered our questions with a full list of vice raids and arrests, as well as a separate list of business permit citations for clubs, bars and adult businesses since January 2007. These indicate that gay establishments were not targeted by the police.

Since Jan. 1, 2007, the APD’s license and permits unit has made 197 unannounced visits to—or raids on—bars, clubs and adult entertainment establishments, resulting in fewer than 100 citations. Only 12 of the 197 visits were to gay businesses, and none of the 12 resulted in citations. When license and permits officers visited the Atlanta Eagle in January 2007, they noted no violations.

On vice unit visits to the Atlanta Eagle beginning May 21, 2009, plainclothes officers reported seeing patrons performing sex acts with each other in what was purported to be a regular Thursday night offering at the club. On Sept. 10, eight arrests, all for permit and license violations, were made, but no arrests were made in connection with the alleged sex acts.  

Regarding why such arrests were not made, the APD made the following statement to The Sunday Paper:

“Per Sgt. K. Collier of the special enforcement section, they [special enforcement section] received information that The Atlanta Eagle would have sex parties on Thursday nights that would spill out into the neighborhood. They wanted to document the illegal sex acts and show that these acts did occur on every Thursday and that the club not only knew about it, but permitted and encouraged it.

The club called Thursday night ‘clothes optional night/underwear night.’ On the night that the arrests were made, the club had placed a curtain up leading into the area where the patrons were engaged in sex acts. The curtain did indeed hamper all view of the illicit acts that were taking place. They were able to see patrons in different stages of undress. When the arrest teams entered the club, everyone began to scurry. With the lighting issue, and patrons scurrying everywhere, they decided to charge the staff with the appropriate charges. Their ultimate goal was to answer and investigate the complaint that had been logged against the club and to have the club owner(s) and management operate in a lawful manner.” 

(SEE MORE ABOUT VICE UNIT BUSTS BELOW) SP

MASSAGE “SPAS,” NOT GAY BARS, GET APD SCRUTINY

According to the City of Atlanta’s legal code, city business licenses cannot be revoked for regulatory violations. It’s harder than one might think to shut down a troublesome business. Under state law, a business can be closed down by a county superior court or a municipal court if it is found to be a “nuisance which tends to the immediate annoyance of the public in general, is manifestly injurious to the public health or safety, or tends greatly to corrupt the manners and morals of the public.”

However, permits, such as those for performing massages, can be revoked for a variety of violations. These violations generally carry a fine of up to $1,000 and can be punishable by up to six months in jail. Each day the violation continues is considered a separate offense.

Atlanta Police Department documents obtained by The Sunday Paper show that massage parlors are far and away the establishments most busted by the APD’s vice unit. Of the 47 vice raids made from January 7, 2007 through Sept. 10 of this year, 30 were made on the same four “spas,” resulting in 118 arrests. According to the APD, the Gold Spa at 1916 Piedmont Road was raided 12 times during that period. Other frequent hits were Tower Spa, Spring Spa, and Fuji Spa.

Here is the complete list of vice raids and arrests:

*Denotes locations where the employees and patrons were detained and their IDs checked through the Atlanta Criminal Information Center

January 2007
*Naughty Girls Lingerie, 1893 Cheshire Bridge Road: 3 arrests for permit violations, 1 misdemeanor arrest

February 2007
*Gold Spa, 1916 Piedmont Road: 4 arrests for permit violation

March 2007
Body Tap Adult Club, 127 Marietta Blvd.: 2 arrests for permit violation

Aug. 2007
*Gold Spa, 1916 Piedmont Road: 3 arrests for permit violations
*Fuji Spa, 1907 Piedmont Road: 2 arrests for permit violations

October 2007
Tiffany’s Adult Entertainment, 1715 Northside Drive: 1 person arrested for prostitution, possession of cocaine, and possession of firearm

December 2007
*Gold Spa, 1916 Piedmont Road: 3 arrests for permit violations
*Tower Spa, 1123-B Spring St.: 3 arrests for permit violations

January 2008
World Health Spa, 2589 Chantilly Drive: 2 arrests for permit violations
*Bare Necessities, 2043 Cheshire Bridge Road: 1 arrest for prostitution and solicitation for hire
The Tasty Dog, 1365 Simpson Road: 5 arrests for commercial gambling, liquor violations
XTC, 2159 Piedmont Road: 1 arrest for masturbation for hire

February 2008
*Tower Spa, 1123-B Spring St.: 1 arrest for massage without permit
*Spring Spa, 1996 Manchester St.: 2 arrests for massage without permit

March 2008
Gold Spa, 1916 Piedmont Road: 3 arrests for clothing requirements, allowing unlicensed person to massage, massage without a permit

May 2008
Tower Spa, 1123-B Spring St.: 3 arrests for massage without permit
*Spring Spa, 1996 Manchester St.: 3 arrests for massage without permit, 7 for allowing an unlicensed person to massage
*Gold Spa, 1916 Piedmont Road: 5 arrests for clothing requirements, massage without permit, allowing unlicensed person to massage

June 2008
Trips, 1931 Piedmont Circle: 1 arrest for commercial gambling

July 2008
*Fuji Spa, 1907 Piedmont Road: 6 arrests for massage without permit
*Spring Spa, 1916 Manchester St.: 3 arrests for massage without a permit and clothing requirements
*New York New York Spa, 10 Lakeshore Drive: 2 arrests for clothing requirements and massage without permit

August 2008
*Fuji Spa, 1907 Piedmont Road: 3 arrests for massage without permit and allowing unlicensed person to massage
*Gold Spa, 1916 Piedmont Road: 4 arrests for massage without permit and clothing requirements

October 2008
*Gold Spa, 1916 Piedmont Road: 2 arrests for massage without permit
Tiffany’s, 1715 Northside Drive: 1 arrest for solicitation for sodomy, possession of marijuana

November 2008
*Fuji Spa, 1907 Piedmont Road: 4 arrests for massage without permit and clothing requirements
*Gold Spa, 1916 Piedmont Road: 4 arrests for massage without permit and clothing requirement
Tiffany’s, 1715 Northside Drive: 4 arrests, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana, prostitution and entertainer conduct

December 2008
*Harem Nights/Harem Lingerie, 2430 Metropolitan Parkway: 1 arrest for masturbation for hire

January 2009
*Tower Spa, 1123-B Spring St.: 3 arrests for massage without permit and clothing requirements
*Spring Spa, 1996 Manchester St.: 2 arrests for clothing requirements and massage without permits
Tiffany’s, 1715 Northside Drive: 1 arrest for solicitation for sodomy
*Fuji Spa, 1907 Piedmont Road: 2 arrests for massage without permit
*Harem Nights, 2430 Metropolitan Parkway: 1 arrest for masturbation for hire
*Gold Spa, 1916 Piedmont Road: 4 arrests for massage without permit

February 2009
*Fuji Spa, 1907 Piedmont Road: 2 arrests for massage without permit, 7 arrests for allowing an unlicensed person to massage
*Tower Spa, 1123-B Spring St.: 3 arrests for massage without a permit and clothing requirements

March 2009
*Fuji Spa, 1907 Piedmont Road: 8 arrests for massage without permit and allowing to massage without a permit
*Gold Spa, 1916 Piedmont Road: 6 arrests for massage without permit

April 2009
*Bare Necessities, 2043 Cheshire Bridge Road: 1 arrest for masturbation for hire
*Gold Spa, 1916 Piedmont Road: 7 arrests for massage without a permit

May 2009
*Gold Spa, 1916 Piedmont Road: 7 arrests for massage without permit and clothing requirements

July 2009
*New York New York Spa, 10 Lakeshore Drive: 3 arrests for massage without permit, clothing requirements
Gold Rush Show Bar, 2608 Metropolitan Parkway: 1 arrest for masturbation for hire
Pleasers, 849 Cleveland Ave: 2 arrests for masturbation for hire
*Spring Spa, 1996 Manchester St.: 2 arrests for massage without a permit and allowing an unlicensed person to massage

August 2009
Spring Spa, 1996 Manchester St.: 7 arrests for massage without permit, clothing requirements and allowing an unlicensed person to massage
*Harem Nights, 2430 Metropolitan Parkway: 2 arrests for masturbation for hire
The Candy Shop/Dream Girls, 3548 Empire Blvd.: 1 arrest for masturbation for hire

September 2009
Atlanta Eagle, 306 Ponce de Leon Ave.: 8 arrests for operating a business without a license, providing adult entertainment without a license, management failure to keep permits on premises. SP

CITY OF ATLANTA’S LEGAL DEFINITION OF “MASSAGE”

ARTICLE XVI.  MASSAGE ESTABLISHMENTS
“Massage means any manner of manipulation, including but not limited to the rubbing, touching, stroking, kneading or vibrating of the superficial parts of the body, by direct or indirect physical contact with any portion of the body of a massage technician or by any form of contact with a massage apparatus.”

COMMUNITY FORUM WITH LGBT & APD LEADERSHIP: A constructive dialogue on how to move forward after The Eagle raid.

Sponsored by Atlantans Together Against Crime (ATAC) and the Virginia Highland Church

Monday, Oct. 5, 2009
6:30 to 8 p.m.
Virginia Highland Church
743 Virginia Ave. NE
Parking is available across the street at Inman Middle School.

The event is free and open to the public.

Specific questions concerning the Eagle raid cannot be answered due to the outstanding investigation; however, questions of protocol, procedure, and others will be welcomed.
 
For more information on this event, visit www.atlantanstogether.org.