Housing and Development Newsletter
The Santa Barbara County sting operations took place Jan. 26-28, 2020, and resulted in the arrest of 12 sex buyers and one human trafficker. Five potential victims of human trafficking were identified and connected with local resources by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office, Victim-Witness Program.
Statewide totals for Operation Reclaim Rebuild were announced at a Friday press conference hosted by the Los Angeles Police Department hosted. This years’ statewide coordinated effort resulted in the rescue of 87 juvenile and adult victims, and the arrest of 518 individuals for crimes associated with human trafficking.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Human Trafficking division was established in 2016 through a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. The grant was renewed in 2020 with $1.2 million in funding for three years.
During the seven-day operation, the LAPD made 91 arrests, the Long Beach Police Department made 13 arrests, the L.A. Regional Human Trafficking Task Force made 36 arrests and the Pomona Police Department made five arrests.
Statewide, 39 victims of human trafficking were rescued during the operation, including 13 juveniles, officials said. In Los Angeles County, 14 victims of human trafficking were rescued, 12 by the LAPD and two by the Pomona Police Department.
Captain Michael Hannemann of the Los Angeles County Sheriff s Department s Special Victims Bureau highlighted four significant incidents that occurred during the operation, including the rescue of three victims and the arrest of man accused of trafficking them in Los Angeles.
CEO of UW Business Incubator Client Says Businesses Key in Combating Human Trafficking | News
February 2, 2021
Ashleigh Chapman, president and CEO of the Alliance for Freedom, Restoration and Justice, says other businesses are key to tackling human trafficking in Wyoming, the United States and around the world. (Photo by Ashleigh Chapman)
In 2019, human trafficking was estimated at $ 150 billion per year and affects approximately 40 million trafficked people worldwide, with more than 325,000 victims in the United States Ashleigh Chapman believes that appealing to all types of businesses in the fight against human trafficking is essential to help eliminate these sordid crimes.
“For many years, the burden of combating human trafficking has rested almost entirely on the efforts of governments and non-profit organizations. Trafficking in human beings is a business, in the worst sense of the word, ”says Chapman, president and CEO of the Alliance for Freedom, Restoration and Just
The complete article can be found at AlabamaNewsCenter.com.
By Chuck Chandler
More than 110,000 truckers across Alabama are on the lookout during National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, hoping to drive out “one of the most egregious human rights violations in the USA and around the world.”
Alabama Trucking Association President and CEO Mark Colson said his organization and Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) helped generate bipartisan support in 2019 in the Alabama Legislature that led to a law which went into effect one year ago. All new commercial driver’s license holders are now required to be trained in how to spot and report human trafficking.