Well I actually grew up right in that area of Arlington and Fort Worth, and I can give some insight about this news story:

First, those particular adult bookstores are pretty notorious. A friend of mine who lives in Fort Worth always refers to one of those establishments (I don't remember which) as "The Glory Hole Place." It has a very lively arcade area with lots of gloryholes in the walls. And it's very busy.

He's told me some stories that would make great material for one wild sexflick. (and would be shunned by the major california gay studios too) Now I am a philisophical libertarian about public sex laws, however I can also recognize that almost every area in the United States has them.

These were not instances of the cops invading someone's privacy. In those particular bookstores, it's very much public and out in the open. I actually haven't lived there since I was 18, but I did check them out years ago, and they were pretty seedy.

Oh - regarding the mayor described in that news story - that mayor of Kennedale used to live in Arlington, and I went to high school there when he was on the city council. (Arlington is a classic suburbia community - think of the neighborhood the students in Sixteen Candles or Home Alone lived in). During Jim Norwood's term, he made a big public deal that one particular city park (which happened to be right next to my house), complaining that it was a busy cruise park. Actually it was.

However, the good news is that he was defeated for reelection, and since I see he is mayor of Kennedale, I guess he got ran out of town. hehe. (Kennedale is a wide spot in the road - maybe like two thousand people)

From what I can make out of the article - it looks like they arrested the employees of the businesses. They didn't arrest guys in the back with their pants down. (public sex is a class A misdemeanor in Texas) It sounds like Mayor Norwood is trying to harass those businesses into shutting their doors. That's pretty thin ice he is on. I don't know if that will fly in a court.
And I think those places are actually in the Fort Worth city limits anyway.

But then if I recall, he's not really the brightest bulb in the universe.

Steve