“People come to Times Square from all over the world because it is a little quirky and slightly chaotic and because there’s some allure to that”

Corey Johnson

Said : Corey Johnson, a City Council member whose district includes Times Square. 

New York Times reporter Patrick McGeehan, in his news article on increasing problem of topless women, known as desnudas, parading around Times Square, reported Johnson as saying that he and another councilman, Daniel R. Garodnick, were working on a bill that would limit when and where these women and also the costumed characters, can ply their trade. 

He told the NYT reporter that their model would be based on the “time, place and manner restrictions” the New York city has placed on street vendors in crowded areas of certain parks similar to the designated spots created for a limited number of sketch artists and other street vendors.

Mr. Johnson reportedly said "the goal was not to rid Times Square of the characters and other street hustlers but to rein them in so they do not drive away the throngs of tourists."

“People come to Times Square from all over the world because it is a little quirky and slightly chaotic and because there’s some allure to that but if it becomes unsafe and creepy, that becomes a problem that we have to address,” Johnson said as per the news.

Bill de Blasio

New York City, Mayor

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has acknowledged that his office had received complaints about these topless women for their aggressive solicitation of payment to pose for pictures. He placed them in the same category as the gaggle of costumed characters that have become nearly synonymous with predatory panhandling in and around Times Square. 

“Let’s face it. The women in Times Square, or the furry creatures in Times Square, are engaged in a business. We believe that that opens the door for us to enforce the way we would any other business. And we will do so, while still respecting constitutional rights.” Bill de Blasio

"I see the women parading around Times Square covered in little but body paint not as creative artists, but as pushy panhandlers whose efforts to separate tourists from their money should be regulated," the Mayor said.