Thirty women who work at two strip clubs, Cheetahs and Expose, are suing the city of San Diego and police Chief Shelley Zimmerman for what they allege were “license inspections” that were really photo ops for officers who snapped pictures of dancers in dressing rooms during a raid on July 15, 2013. (No, those are not supposed to look like two stripper poles on the police patch).
Some 10 officers swarmed the club and forced the women to stand nearly nude while they allegedly took their pictures and made crude remarks. The officers reportedly ordered some women to lift what little clothing they had on to check for tattoos. These roughly dozen officers were needed for a license compliance inspection? The women were first asked to show their licenses, give their social security number, and answer questions. However, the officers then insisted the women line up in the back of the dressing room and be photographed.
The dancers are asking for $1.5 million or $50,000 for each dancer for emotional distress and pain and suffering.
San Diego Police issued this statement:
“The San Diego Police Department is required by the San Diego Municipal Code to inspect police regulated businesses. Nude establishments are one of many police regulated industries for which SDPD regularly conducts inspections. These inspections occur on a consistent basis throughout the year to ensure that all clubs and dancers are following the law.
The SDPD is currently conducting an internal investigation into allegations related to recent enforcement at Cheetah’s Adult Nightclub. As is standard protocol, we will not comment on this on-going internal investigation.”
While the police insist that they have the right to photograph these women for their tattoos, I fail to see the justification as part of a licensing inspection. These women are working in a lawful business. I do not see police demanding that fast-food workers or truckers strip for tattoo shots to confirm that their licenses are accurate. Why should strippers be subject to this demeaning process but not other workers. If someone is arrested, there is a valid need to photograph them but these women were not being arrested. Furthermore, if any of these officers personally retained or distributed these pictures, they should obviously be fired on that basis alone.
Source: LA Times
BelgiumBrain: you mean you are Belgian or are you Belgian-American? Never found another Belgian posting on here. Yes, I still hold a Belgian passport and a good Belgian brain myself and I am here legally; paid to go to college here to compete with other brains from all over the world and did it well. Not sure we’ll get along on here but appreciate a Belgian brain anytime over an American rightwing brain. Teehee.
@ els dl dont belgians have their own blogs they can “chat” on i mean if you feel americans are so inferior in the brain why exactly are you hanging around on a AMERICAN BLOG? cant wait to hear the answer to that one
as for the article the cops took those pics for their own personal use not long from now i guarantee we will hear about one of the cops stalking one of those strippers just check out injustice everywhere or police misconduct by the cato institute you’ll see exactly what i mean or you can check out ” behind the blue wall” which is a site dedicated to reporting all stories of police domestic violence , murder, stalking etc
All police officers should be forced to be stripped naked and have pictures taken of their tattoos.
san diego is off their game. if it was new mexico cops instead of cute bottoms they’d be clenched butt cheeks and all the pictures would be from the inside.
http://www.policestateusa.com/2013/innocent-man-given-anal-cavity-search-colonoscopy-after-rolling-through-a-stop-sign/
BelgiumBrain: you mean you are Belgian or are you Belgian-American? Never found another Belgian posting on here. Yes, I still hold a Belgian passport and a good Belgian brain myself and I am here legally; paid to go to college here to compete with other brains from all over the world and did it well. Not sure we’ll get along on here but appreciate a Belgian brain anytime over an American rightwing brain. Teehee.
BillH, As you know, Zimmerman was appointed in a NY minute. I think it’s because she’s a lesbian and it helps w/ the PCers.
The background is the SD police have been harassing these strip clubs for some time. San Diego police and politicians[Bob Filner!!] are a randy group. Hopefully the strippers have good barristers. The city has unlimited defense funds, it’s called TAXPAYERS.
“Why do strippers need to be licensed in the first place?”
~+~
They don’t in my view. The only requirement should be that they are 18 years or older and that can be verified with driver license or other ID. All it does is serve as something the state can use against the person who behaves in a way the state objects to so that it can threaten their livelihood.
It’s not like a health care professional or a CPA where having proper credentials is paramount.