from the link: Besides "best practices" listed in the article, the Board banned locked doors during business hours,
and closed curtains.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously this week to amend Chapter 28.1 of the county code, concluding a five-year effort to crack down on illicit massage businesses (IMB).
The action follows a 2020 motion by Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity directing county staff to revise the ordinance to address more than 80 illicit massage businesses operating in Fairfax County at the time, while avoiding unnecessary burdens on legitimate massage therapists. IMBs are considered one of the most common forms of human trafficking nationwide.
Herrity’s motion noted that tightening the ordinance and improving enforcement would “close the loopholes IMBs are taking advantage of while making sure we do not put an unnecessary burden on the many legitimate massage businesses” in the county.
Under the amended ordinance, regulatory authority for massage establishments shifts from the Department of Code Compliance to the Health Department. The changes incorporate national best practices, including prohibitions on sleeping quarters and sexually suggestive advertising, and requiring operators to disclose past violations in other states or jurisdictions.
Kim Luckabaugh, founder and executive director of the Starfish Alliance, a new anti-trafficking organization in Fairfax County, called the update a critical step in combating human trafficking. She said many residents do not realize the extent of trafficking locally, citing an estimated 170 IMBs in the county and additional trafficking linked to gangs, pimps, family networks and labor exploitation.
The Starfish Alliance said the board’s vote will strengthen efforts to identify and support trafficking survivors. The organization provides community education on recognizing human trafficking and teaches residents how to report concerns safely. It is also developing a career and resource navigation program to help survivors move toward economic independence.
“The unanimous decision by the Board will help us serve survivors and the Fairfax community and protect and restore the human dignity of the vulnerable among us,” Luckabaugh explained.
“This ordinance update makes it harder for these bad actors to continue operating in Fairfax,” Luckabaugh said, adding that it provides stronger protections for licensed therapeutic massage therapists and serves as a model for other jurisdictions. She also praised the board’s interest in adopting a landlord engagement program that has proved effective elsewhere.
Herrity said the changes were “long overdue” and essential to addressing human trafficking in Fairfax County. “Passage of this ordinance is an important next step in ending the existence of the over 100 illicit massage businesses currently operating in plain sight,” he said.
