from www.freep.com – The Detroit City Council clamped down on the city’s strip clubs today, approving ordinances that forbid VIP rooms and touching between dancers and patrons but still allowing the establishments to serve alcohol.

The contentious decision means the city will require licensing of most club workers and restrict dancers to performances on stages at least 18 inches high. Tougher measures that would have prohibited alcohol and forced dancers to wear opaque pasties were removed from earlier this month and stayed off the table, to the disappointment of community leaders including the Rev. Marvin Winans, the gospel singer and pastor of Perfecting Church on the city’s east side.

“Detroit deserves better, and we’re going to give them better,” said Winans, who pledged to continue the fight against strip clubs but declined to say what specific steps might be next.

The proposal drew more than 500 people to a City Council hearing on the issue Monday night, most supporting tougher regulations on the city’s adult entertainment clubs. The council dropped the alcohol ban, fearing it would leave the city open to lawsuits.

Supporters of a harsher crackdown on the city’s 33 strip clubs say the establishments attract trouble ranging from shootings and robberies to drug dealing, open sexual activity, noise and littering that burden nearby neighborhoods.

Council members JoAnn Watson, Brenda Jones and Kwame Kenyatta voted against the licensing measures. All three declined to comment after the meeting. The three voted with the rest of the council to approve requiring new strip clubs to be located in intensive and special industrial districts and a 1,000-foot buffer between the strip clubs and schools, parks and churches.

Assistant Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee told the council this morning that, while the police department wasn’t taking a stand on the issue, it wanted the council to understand outlawing alcohol at strip clubs could backfire and push dancing and alcohol parties underground into blind pigs, large illegal house parties and cabarets.

“The liquor licenses are heavy, heavy hammers for us” because the threat of getting one revoked forces owners to stay on their toes, Godbee said.

The council’s frustration with the issue was evident.

Watson earlier today questioned why it is that other U.S. cities have managed to ban alcohol in strip clubs and noted that many of Detroit’s clubs have repeated violations and still stay in business. She said residents who live near adult clubs want their neighborhoods respected.

Councilman Ken Cockrel Jr. said that, while he appreciated the level of community interest in the issue, he wondered why there’s not similar outrage about murders, schoolgirls being raped, joblessness, home foreclosures and other ills in the city.

“We’ve got bigger fish to fry than this,” Cockrel said.

Council President Pro Tem Gary Brown, who voted in support of the water-down ordinances, said he was relieved the issue was settled because there are city issues that are more pressing and deserve attention. He said he understood protests made by religious leaders, who called for stronger restrictions, because they are passionate and believe they are doing the right thing.

“But I have to represent all of the citizens of the city of Detroit,” Brown said.

Brown said he is confident the new restrictions are stronger and give police more tools to enforce law inside and outside of the establishments. But he said any ordinance that banned alcohol inside the clubs would open the city up to lawsuits they would be unable to defend. He said is certain the legality of the new restrictions likely will be tested, but believes the city is on firm legal ground.

Councilman James Tate said he believes the final version of the ordinances was a solid compromise between the adult-entertainment venues, residents, religious leaders and the city.

“This was a very emotional decision for me, personally,” Tate said. “It is our job to represent the city at large, but also the needs and concerns of those who live near these clubs. …We have to make sure to balance the two.”

Added Tate: “This is a very living and breathing document, and if necessary we’ll go back and retool.”

The Detroit City Council clamped down on the city’s strip clubs today, approving ordinances that forbid VIP rooms and touching between dancers and patrons but still allowing the establishments to serve alcohol.

The contentious decision means the city will require licensing of most club workers and restrict dancers to performances on stages at least 18 inches high. Tougher measures that would have prohibited alcohol and forced dancers to wear opaque pasties were removed from earlier this month and stayed off the table, to the disappointment of community leaders including the Rev. Marvin Winans, the gospel singer and pastor of Perfecting Church on the city’s east side.

“Detroit deserves better, and we’re going to give them better,” said Winans, who pledged to continue the fight against strip clubs but declined to say what specific steps might be next.

The proposal drew more than 500 people to a City Council hearing on the issue Monday night, most supporting tougher regulations on the city’s adult entertainment clubs. The council dropped the alcohol ban, fearing it would leave the city open to lawsuits.

Supporters of a harsher crackdown on the city’s 33 strip clubs say the establishments attract trouble ranging from shootings and robberies to drug dealing, open sexual activity, noise and littering that burden nearby neighborhoods.

Council members JoAnn Watson, Brenda Jones and Kwame Kenyatta voted against the licensing measures. All three declined to comment after the meeting. The three voted with the rest of the council to approve requiring new strip clubs to be located in intensive and special industrial districts and a 1,000-foot buffer between the strip clubs and schools, parks and churches.

Assistant Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee told the council this morning that, while the police department wasn’t taking a stand on the issue, it wanted the council to understand outlawing alcohol at strip clubs could backfire and push dancing and alcohol parties underground into blind pigs, large illegal house parties and cabarets.