Council Member Krishnan co-sponsors two bills aiming to address human trafficking and prostitution

Photo courtesy of the Office of Council Member Shekar Krishnan

Oct. 10, 2024 By Shane O’Brien

Council Member Shekar Krishnan has co-sponsored two bills presented to the City Council as part of efforts to crack down on alleged human trafficking and forced prostitution at illicit hotels and massage parlors in the city.

Krishnan has co-sponsored two bills heard at City Hall on Wednesday, including the “Safe Hotels Act”, which would require hotels to obtain a license in order to operate their business in the city, and “Intro 970, which would require businesses providing or offering massage to have a license to operate.

Krishnan said he was co-sponsoring both bills after a reported rise in forced prostitution and human trafficking along Roosevelt Avenue.

The news comes after a number of recent protests and rallies against a rise in prostitution in the area.

On Sunday, around 200 people gathered at the 90th Street Triangle on the border of Jackson Heights and Elmhurst to protest against a rise in prostitution, describing the intersection of Case Street and Roosevelt Avenue as the epicenter of prostitution.

Concerned residents and local leaders also gathered at an alleged brothel at 98-17 Roosevelt Ave. last Friday to demand its closure after an activist recorded footage from inside the alleged brothel. Protesters at both events said local politicians were not doing enough to address rising prostitution and crime in the area. Both protests took place outside Krishnan’s council district in the neighboring Council District 21.

Krishnan said the lack of adequate licensing for hotels and massage parlors in the city has led to an explosion of “unsafe activities” at such businesses.

His Safe Hotels Act, also known as Intro 991, would require hotels to maintain continuous coverage of their front desk while also obtaining a license to operate in the city. Large hotels would also be required to have continuous coverage of a security guard on the premises while any room in the building is occupied.

Furthermore, the bill would require each hotel in the city to equip all core employees with panic buttons, chemical injury prevention information and human trafficking awareness training, while every hotel in the city would also be required to maintain the cleanliness of each guest room.

Intro 970, on the other hand, would require massage businesses to post their license in the location where they operate. The bill would also prohibit businesses from employing or retaining any person to provide massage unless that person has a state license or is exempt from that requirement under state law.

Each business would be required to retain records showing that each person providing massage is either licensed or exempt from holding a license.

Any hotels or massage parlors found guilty of violating the conditions of either bill would be liable for civil penalties.

Krishnan said the two bills can help address rising prostitution and help make Roosevelt Avenue safer for residents.

“Just as beautiful forms of community can blossom in bright, open, public spaces, dangerous activity takes root in dark, unlicensed, and unregulated spaces,” Krishnan said in a statement. “The lack of an orderly system of licensing for hotels and massage parlors has led to an explosion of unsafe activity within those places, from labor abuses to sex trafficking. This activity spills out onto our streets and into our communities. And nowhere is that more apparent than on Roosevelt Avenue.

“We can fix this. With licensing, common sense operating requirements, and enforcement, we can bring light and order to these spaces. We can make our community safer.”

Krishnan said he is also working with Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, Assembly Members Steven Raga and Catalina Cruz and a number of city agencies to push for stronger enforcement against human trafficking.

He said he was working alongside his fellow elected officials to produce an action plan to combat rampant sex trafficking and exploitation on Roosevelt Avenue.

“These steps won’t solve the problem overnight, but they are progress towards a safer community,” Krishnan said.