ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR)-- Two local massage parlors shut their doors after the city condemned their spas.

Sanford Therapeutic Massage and Wellness Spa were both shut down by the city for the same reason, neither of them had the proper state license to provide massage services.

The city says the businesses had been brought to attention by concerned citizens who felt the parlors were not providing the advertised services. While the city won't confirm the spas were fronts for human trafficking, the city believes it's taking action to fight back against an issue plaguing our community.

"We need to do something about that," explained Frank Beach, 10th Ward Alderman. "And this is one step, one way that we can begin to help in that area."

"The concerns and complaints on the human trafficking aspect of this, and certainly illegitimate businesses and massage parlors like that are one form of it," said Thaddeus Mack, Building Code Official, City of Rockford. "Certainly there are many other forms that can go, but something I think the city as a whole takes seriously, and anything we can do to help combat that we will."

According to a recent study, Rockford is number two in the state of Illinois for human trafficking, and Illinois is number eight in the nation.

The city says they want to do whatever it can to fight back against this problem.

According to the Rockford Register Star, Sanford Therapeutic said they were not involved in human trafficking and the community had them shut down for racists reasons.

We also reached out to the Wellness Spa for comment, our calls have not yet been returned.