By Pauline Repard
SAN DIEGO — A group of
strippers from a second adult entertainment club have filed a claim against San
Diego police, alleging their privacy rights were violated in the way vice
officers conducted an inspection.
The dancers from Exposé in
Kearny Mesa filed the claim on Friday, seeking more than $10,000 in damages for
emotional distress and lost income.
The claim, filed by attorney
Dan Gilleon, says that on March 6, a half-dozen officers made demeaning
comments as they photographed tattoos on the nearly-nude women, and told them
to smile and pose in certain ways.
Vice officers went to two other
clubs that evening, including Cheetahs, also in Kearny Mesa. Gilleon filed a
claim against police on behalf of two dozen strippers from Cheetahs last week,
alleging the same type of conduct.
Police spokesman Lt. Kevin
Mayer has defended the officers’ actions, saying the license checks were
routine and legal. He said dancers agree to random inspections before they can
obtain a city adult entertainment license.
Mayer said vice officers keep
photos of the dancers’ tattoos on file because the women often change their
appearance.
Gilleon said in both claims
that the women were against their will for an hour without probable cause that
any crime had been committed.
If the city rejects the claims,
the women can then file lawsuits seeking monetary damages.
Other San Diego police officers
have been accused of sexual misconduct and one faces criminal charges for
allegedly frisking several women in an inappropriate, sexual manner. The
federal Department of Justice is to conduct an audit of the department's
training and supervision policies.