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KCHD Offers Free HIV Testing In Response To Illegal Tattoo Shops

The Kent County Health Department is now offering free, confidential HIV testing to anyone with tattoos from an unlicensed operator. Officials say attempts were made yesterday to shut down a well-known location, but it appears the operator is not cooperating.  The Health Department says it’s frustrated, but its biggest concern is public safety.

“Make no mistake, the Kent County Health Department is fed up, we’re coming. We are done with it and we’re asking anyone with information to contact us.”

Kent County Health Department Marketing and Communications Manager, Steve Kelso says the department will continue to target and go after what appears to be a growing number of illegal body art facilities.  The department along with the Grand Rapids Police Department attempted to shut down a location at 456 Leonard Street yesterday… But he says perhaps to no avail.

“We hoped to shut him down, the placard was removed, we have evidence there was activity again last night.  This is incredibly frustrating for us. We want these people stopped.”

Kelso says the reason they’re so adamant is the serious risk of infection or disease from unlicensed, unregulated shops.  So much so that they’re now offering free HIV testing.

“We advise anyone who’s frequented here or any illegal type shop to get a free and confidential HIV test.”

Kelso says the Kent County Health Department has no way of knowing what conditions exist inside an unlicensed establishment.

“We don’t know if it’s going on in bars, back alleys, basements at parties, etc, we have no idea,  all we know is if we cannot inspect we cannot speak to sanitary conditions and the potential for spreading disease, when needles involved is very high and dangerous”

No names are being released since this is an ongoing investigation in cooperation with the Grand Rapids Police Department and no charges have been filed. 

Jennifer is an award winning broadcast news journalist with more than two decades of professional television news experience including the nation's fifth largest news market. She's worked as both news reporter and news anchor for television and radio in markets from Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo all the way to San Francisco, California.