Oswego Board, Police Respond To Recent Prostitution Concerns

OSWEGO, IL — A recent flurry of prostitution charges from massage parlors in the area is sparking a conversation among Village of Oswego officials and police. The Village's Committee of the Whole will meet Tuesday evening to explore possibilities of regulating the industry further. Oswego Police have recently fielded concerns from citizens regarding the legitimacy of some of the massage parlors located within the Village, according to the meeting's agenda.

There's also a concern about the number of people living in those businesses potentially violating the Village Code. Recently, Patch reported on a few charges for prostitution and aiding and abetting an unlicensed massage in the area. The government agenda mentions three arrests, as well as business license suspensions until the owners came into compliance with Village Code.

"Due to the fact that multiple massage parlors exist within the Village that appear to have illegal activity occurring within the business, staff has researched different concepts to present to the Village Board for discussion on how to handle this issue moving forward," the agenda states. There's potential to change the zoning ordinance adopt a village ordinance, which would require massage parlors to go through a stricter licensing process.

The Aurora Beacon-News reports that Oswego Police Chief Jeff Burgner sent the Village Board a memo saying an ordinance would allow for inspections and make sure the business is in compliance with the local code and state laws. Burgner also mentioned to the newspaper that police feel the activities taking place at the parlors are unrelated.

The Committee of the Whole meets Tuesday, Nov. 21 at 6 p.m. at the Oswego Village Hall, 100 Parkers Mill.

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