SANTA CRUZ — A just lately printed Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury report discovered that human trafficking within the county goes largely unrecognized and unreported, which is mirrored on the state and federal ranges.
In accordance with the 28-page report, “Human trafficking is defined by the U.S. Department of Justice as a crime involving the exploitation of a person for labor, services, or commercial sex.”
The report states that many People consider human trafficking is just not one thing that occurs in the USA however in different international locations. Nevertheless, the Nationwide Institute of Justice, cited within the report, discovered that 85% of human trafficking circumstances go unreported, which may doubtlessly add as much as 5,000-10,000 circumstances per yr in California, with adolescents and youngsters particularly weak.
In accordance with information from the Nationwide Human Trafficking Hotline, California had the eighth highest variety of victims per capita at about 29 victims per 100,000 residents. In 2023, California had roughly 1,130 reported circumstances of human trafficking, which concerned 2,045 victims and roughly 60% of the circumstances concerned intercourse trafficking.
In accordance with the report, “The California Department of Justice determined that human trafficking, both sex and labor trafficking, is the fastest-growing criminal enterprise globally and is increasing in California. This is because human trafficking is a very lucrative business. Unlike drug sales, the commodity (sex or forced labor) can be sold over and over.”
To compile the report, the Grand Jury interviewed human trafficking survivors, legislation enforcement officers with the county and varied cities, native nonprofits that target serving to human trafficking victims, together with farmworker advocates, homeless outreach employees and college and county directors. The jurors additionally researched human trafficking, acquiring supporting documentation from interviewees and Public Information Act requests.
The report states that one native nonprofit interviewed by members of the Grand Jury stated it receives about 5 to seven calls from victims of human trafficking every week however estimated that there are as many as 200 intercourse trafficking victims in Santa Cruz County in the identical time-frame. One other nonprofit informed the Grand Jury that it has helped about 20 human trafficking victims prior to now three years who have been between the ages of 12 and 18. A separate company reported serving to between eight and 10 victims every year. The Santa Cruz County Workplace of Training stated that it was conscious of at the least 4 suspected circumstances of intercourse trafficking inside the previous 4 years, and two reported circumstances within the 2024-2025 faculty yr.
In accordance with the United Nations Workplace on Medication and Crime, cited within the Grand Jury report, about 51% of all human trafficking victims on the planet are grownup girls, 20% are ladies below the age of 18, whereas 21% of victims are grownup males, and eight% are boys below 18.
Essentially the most weak populations to human trafficking domestically, as recognized within the report, are school-aged youngsters, youth in foster care, homeless and runaway youth, younger adults experiencing poverty and habit, and undocumented farmworkers. The report states that youngsters, teenagers and younger adults are at even increased danger with the emergence of social media, the place younger folks can doubtlessly befriend sexual predators and human traffickers.
The findings comprise three composite examples of human trafficking situations utilizing particulars offered by native service suppliers and precise native trafficking circumstances. The authors level out that every one the examples have three parts: recruitment, harboring and coercion. One state of affairs describes a state of affairs the place an 18-year-old known as Kathy is invited to a celebration hosted by a trafficker named John.
“At the party,” the report describes, “Kathy and her friends are provided alcohol and drugs. John offers Kathy what sounds like a great opportunity to make good money. He claims to be a professional photographer and offers her work as a model. He tells her a time and day to meet. After this meeting, Kathy decides to run away from home and drop out of school. John takes her on a shopping spree for the designer clothes she ‘needs’ for modeling work. In exchange, she hands over her phone and identification. Kathy is now isolated, making it difficult for her to seek help. She is told that she now ‘owes’ him for his gifts, and she must work off the debt. Soon, he is taking her from city to city, where she is forced into sex trafficking.”
By interviews with members of the District Legal professional’s Workplace, Sheriff’s Workplace and metropolis police departments, the Civil Grand Jury discovered that few circumstances of human trafficking are recognized and fewer nonetheless which can be prosecuted in Santa Cruz County. Most circumstances of human trafficking go unreported, the report finds, within the county and elsewhere as a result of oftentimes victims have dedicated crimes themselves, akin to prostitution or recruiting others to be trafficked and are afraid to be charged. Different components embody the concern of being sexually assaulted by a legislation enforcement officer and Stockholm syndrome, the place the sufferer sides with their trafficker. Human trafficking circumstances are additionally troublesome to research and prosecute as a result of victims are sometimes moved often by traffickers to keep away from detection, amongst different components.
Native legislation enforcement agreed that human trafficking does happen within the county, however few circumstances are dropped at their consideration. The report states that, “In Grand Jury interviews with law enforcement for this investigation, the Jury perceived that officers are sincere in their desire to address the human trafficking problem in our County, but acknowledge that the obstacles outlined here are difficult barriers to overcome.”
The Grand Jury composed 10 suggestions within the report, which embody the institution of a devoted Santa Cruz County Division of Human Providers workers member to consolidate information about human trafficking and lead a countywide coalition, coordinating with Monterey and San Benito counties to create a regional committee dedicated to monitoring and stopping human trafficking, and requiring all legislation enforcement companies to conduct an annual human trafficking consciousness coaching, amongst different suggestions.
To learn the report, go to santacruzcountyca.gov.
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