Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes declares strip club on Aurora a public nuisance

Club Dollhouse in north Seattle

On December 12, 2025 Seattle Police Department Chief Shon Barnes declared Club Dollhouse strip club at 10338 Aurora Ave N near Northgate Way a chronic nuisance property.

This followed a lengthy investigation over the past several months that documented illegal activities and recovered two firearms – including one stolen gun.

On December 8, the city sent a chronic nuisance declaration letter to the business owner and property owner of 10338 Aurora Ave N, where the Club Dollhouse strip club has been operating.

The declaration required the owner to respond within seven days and come to an agreement with the city to address public safety hazards.

The action underscores the city’s commitment to hold entertainment owners accountable for enabling or ignoring signs of criminal activity.

Club Dollhouse came under police scrutiny this fall, when the SPD VICE Human Trafficking unit received complaints from concerned citizens and other law enforcement partners about underage people allegedly dancing and working inside the 21-and-over strip club establishment, in addition to sexual exploitation and illegal alcohol sales.

This sparked an extensive investigative effort that also involved officers and detectives from patrol, Narcotics Unit, Community Response Group (CRG), and Joint Enforcement Team (JET) along with the Seattle Department of Finance and Administrative Services and the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.

They uncovered a variety of code violations and criminal activity, including illegal sales of alcohol, sexual exploitation, and the discovery of two firearms – one of which was found sitting on a couch.

“Business owners who turn a blind eye to criminal activity and human trafficking are not welcome in Seattle,” Barnes said. “By declaring this business a chronic nuisance, we are sending a clear message to this and other businesses that they face real consequences.”

This is SPD’s latest attempt to reduce human trafficking and sexual exploitation citywide, including along the Aurora Ave N corridor, at strip clubs and in hotels across the city, Barnes said.