"It's the new crack cocaine," Santa Cruz Police Chief Andy Mills said Wednesday morning to police officers and badged supervisors at the police department's community room. "Except with trafficking, you can sell it over and over."
Every officer raised a hand when asked whether he or she has responded to a sexual-assault case. The cases, too often, lack information, one officer said. Those missing details are common in human trafficking, which includes sexual assault, domestic violence, kidnapping, abuse and other crimes involving victims too vulnerable, or too traumatized, to report their situation. The training, part of a twice-monthly program at the department, was designed to teach officers how to identify the subtle signs of human trafficking - holding a person by means of force, fraud and coercion.
The FBI has identified the San Francisco Bay Area, including Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, as one of the three highest-intensity child sex trafficking regions in the country.
Mills said Santa Cruz Police Department, unlike metro departments, lacks a unit dedicated to human trafficking.
Deborah Pembrook, who teaches others about the problem through the Coalition to End Human Trafficking in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties, said trafficking is happening in Santa Cruz County. About 30 percent of the traffickers are women, Pembrook said. Traffickers can be anyone, a trusted family friend to gang members immersed in organized crime. The trafficked may appear to be the criminal, such as a drug dealer. And many trafficking victims are so traumatized by the abnormal lifestyle, they struggle to find a way out and relapse, Pembrook said.
Pembrook said, of the 25 forms of human trafficking observed by the Polaris Project, an initiative that defines human trafficking as a form of slavery and a "multibillion dollar criminal industry," most have been observed in Santa Cruz County. Those include escort services, illicit massage, strip clubs and cantinas, pornography and covert crimes disguised by traveling sales, commercial cleaning services and restaurant work. She said human trafficking has not been observed locally in manufacturing industries or people trafficked from recreational areas.
Many victims of human trafficking are branded like animals. Their tattoos, which Pembrook showed on a projector screen, may be phrases stating they belong to someone. Detective Laurel Schonfield, who works human trafficking and other cases, said one of the photos depicting a cheetah tattoo was taken in a case that has linked tips of trafficking from Santa Cruz County to Florida. She said the crimes have no boundaries.
All victims, about share one experience: the loss of freedom, according to the Polaris Project.
Representatives also attended from Monarch Services, which advocates for victims and offers protection for vetted cases at a confidential, emergency shelter.
Program Manager Maria Barranco said Monarch has more than 20 advocates who respond to cases including domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.
Sydney Rogers, a Monarch advocate, said victims of sexual assault may suffer from tremors, chills, irritability, anger or rage. Those symptoms also may appear in human trafficking cases. For sexually trafficked children, she said many are afraid they may "get in trouble" if they speak out to police.
Pembrook cited examples of children who were charged with prostitution in the past despite being victims of human trafficking. She said laws have changed to no longer criminalize the victim.
Melissa Delgadillo, the program manager for Santa Cruz County Human Services Division, said she is not sure whether there has been an increase of human trafficking cases in Santa Cruz County.
"I think it's a problem that has always been here," Delgadillo said. She said training is helping people to identify the problem.
The county's partners who respond to such cases, including caseworkers, law enforcement, the District Attorney's Office and others, have a protocol that was updated on sexual-assault response about a year ago.
The warning signs include children with unexplained injuries, multiple cell phones, or multiple fake IDs who might be with someone they call "daddy," said Najeeb Kamil, Santa Cruz County Human Services senior analyst.
They may have multiple hotel keys in their pockets, excessive cash, prepaid credit cards - and other tools used for frequent, immediate travel, Kamil said.
Kamil said many children are brought to Santa Cruz from other counties to be abused here before being returned.
"There are risk factors and warning signs," Kamil said. Those include a history of prostitution or drug addictions.
To report suspicious activity or identify someone who may be a victim of human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hot line at 888-373-7888.
Reader Comments
to our Newsletter