HOUSTON -- A "3-foot rule" is supposed to keep strippers a certain distance from customers, but not all topless entertainers are following that law, according to a Local 2 investigation Wednesday.

On a recent Saturday night at a local strip club, Local 2's undercover cameras caught a topless dancer sitting in a client's lap while he rubbed his hands up and down her body. She was only wearing a g-string. By law, it should not have happened.

Eight years ago, Houston's City Council fought to pass the ordinance that regulates sexually oriented businesses. So, it's currently illegal for a dancer to touch a customer or his clothing while entertaining or exposing private parts.

Local 2 took its undercover video to State Rep. Martha Wong. She was a Houston city council member when the ordinance passed.

"I don't need to see any more," Wong said.

She insisted on the 3-foot rule eight years ago. Now, she is insisting that customers and strippers abide by the law.

"I hope there are members of council who are going to question the police chief on why he's not enforcing the laws that are on the books and insisting that he do so and also letting the mayor know that we are not going to put up with this," Wong said.

Wong said she is ready to take the matter to the state capital, if Houston City Council or law enforcement officers don't take action.

"I don't think you do away with a law that I think is good. No, I don't think so. I think they need to enforce it," Wong said.

Houston Mayor Bill White said this is a never-ending battle.

"There's too many strip clubs. There's too much abuses that occur within them," he said. "I'm not for taking police off investigations or responding to calls for service, reducing our response time in order to shut down every strip joint and comply with the law. I think the law should be enforced."

Local 2 showed the undercover tape to Lt. Robert Manzo of the Houston Police Department. He said his department investigates complaints, but the people closest to the action rarely call.

"Obviously, you wouldn't expect the customer to call about the dancer violating the 3-foot rule. And that's another reason for us not to get hardly any complaints," Manzo said.

Kevin Templeton was a Houston vice cop for 14 years. He said officers do what they can, but they need more money, officers and resources.

"It's going to take a lot of hands-on, constant, repetitive enforcement to show them that they mean business," he said. "They've got limits set upon them and they've got their hands tied. I'm sure if the powers-that-be decided, 'Let's declare war on them and go after them,' you'd have a bunch of guys out there and doing what they have to do to make the cases."

Some who frequented the clubs said they know about the 3-foot rule, but it does not keep them away.

"It really don't deter me one way or the other, you know. Depends on which angle you're looking at it from, you know," said Sonny Shearer, a customer.

"I've heard about it. I heard that the dancers aren't supposed to come within three feet and I don't see that it's always in effect. It's a waste of a law to me. I don't think it's doing any good," another customer said.

In online discussion boards, some strippers have said Houston is becoming the "new Amsterdam" because of the lack of regulation. Another said Houston customers simply expect more.