FINDINGS:
F1. Funding to combat human sex trafficking is both inconsistent and insufficient resulting in less participation in the OCHTTF by law enforcement agencies.
Response: The City of Anaheim agrees in part with this finding. Funding is a concern to continue the task force, but there must be buy-in and participation by other law enforcement agencies even without a grant. Additionally, even with funding and a grant, agencies did not participate in the OCHTTF. The issue is not only funding but personnel requirements. Additionally, even without the grant, Santa Ana, Irvine, California Highway Patrol, and Anaheim law enforcement agencies still participate in the task force.
F2. Limited budgets, training, and hiring challenges constrain local law enforcement agencies’ ability to devote significant resources toward combatting human sex trafficking.
Response: The City of Anaheim agrees with this finding. Budgets and hiring challenges have made it difficult for all agencies to hire personnel and maintain services for their individual cities.
Historically, even when the department is fully staffed with budgeted positions, that does not equate to officers being deployable. The budgeted positions include officers who are in the academy, in the field training officer program, and unavailable for various personnel related issues. The department must be strategic in the placement of personnel in order to fulfill other duties and responsibilities. However, the department does recognize the severity of human trafficking and the impact this modern-day slavery has upon victims and society and therefore has placed a Sergeant and Investigator in the task force.
F4. Education and prevention efforts have increased awareness of human trafficking but remain insufficient to create heightened awareness within the Orange County community.
Response: The City of Anaheim agrees with this finding. The grant allowed for the Task Force to develop and present human trafficking training throughout Orange County and the state several times a year. The Task Force became recognized for the quality, knowledge, and applicable of the training and expertise of the instructors. The members of the task force were also recognized for teaching a collaborative approach. However, without the grant funding, the training conducted by the task force for other agencies has been significantly reduced. The Task Force will continue to provide training and work with local businesses, schools, and community organizations to heighten awareness, understanding and reporting procedures for suspected human trafficking victims.
F5. Agencies inadequately record, track, and coordinate their data collection to effectively measure their progress toward addressing human trafficking.
Response: The City of Anaheim and the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force utilized an independent entity and contracted with Vanguard University throughout the grant period to record, track, and coordinate data collection. This was a requirement of the grant and cost $25,000 each year for a grand total of $75,000. However, without the grant, the City of Anaheim and participating agencies are limited as to the amount of data which can be tracked to directly address human tracking.
Still, the collaborative will look at methods which do assist in determining the effectiveness of the response to human trafficking investigations, as well as enhancement tools such as technology which will assist in the prevention, education and deterrence of human trafficking as well as the apprehension and prosecution of human trafficking suspects.
F6. There is no centralized, coordinated, and specialized database in Orange County that could be utilized across all affiliated agencies to track repeat victimization.
Response: The City of Anaheim agrees with this finding, however due to policies and laws this is not always feasible. Victims of human trafficking have privacy rights and without the victim’s consent, their information cannot be shared. A local police department would not be able to create a county wide database which would house this information. This would have to come from a county entity.
Also, due to CLETS related access requirements, a police department would not be able to arbitrarily query an individual to find out his or her status without a lawful reason. This resource maybe more applicable to a non-profit agency or a county entity.
F7. Orange County’s wealth and tourist attractions make it a magnet for human sex trafficking.
Response: The City of Anaheim agrees with this finding. Orange County is a destination county for tourists both locally, and throughout the world. It is also one of the wealthiest counties and attracts criminal activity such as human trafficking. The City of Anaheim along with Santa Ana PD, Irvine PD, and the California Highway Patrol recognizes this significance and even without a grant in place, specifically dedicated resources directly to the investigations of human trafficking victims and their perpetrators.
This is performed collaboratively with Anaheim PD being the lead law enforcement agency. Our response to these concerns was forming the task force and partnering with the District Attorney and United States Attorney’s office, non-profit organizations, and social services organizations for victim- centric wrap around services. It is the intent to prevent, educate, and deter these crimes from occurring and having the appropriate resources in place to relentlessly arrest perpetrators and those who assist these predators, in their acts of violence and modern-day slavery.
F8. Sex trafficking is an underground crime. Trafficked individuals are transient and mobile, making it difficult to discover and identify victims.
Response: The City of Anaheim agrees with this finding. Human trafficking victims and suspects cross jurisdictional city, county and state lines. It is important to have relationships in place throughout the corridors utilized by trafficking suspects to properly hold them accountable.
F9. Law enforcement attitudes and methods have changed to a “victim centered trauma informed” approach, but more training is needed to identify, intervene, on behalf of, and support victims.
Response: The City of Anaheim agrees with this finding. The Task Force continues to provide information and training to personnel assigned to the participating agencies. Additionally, the Task Force will operate in an advisory capacity for other agencies which are not part of the Task Force but have a human trafficking incident occur in their jurisdiction.
F10. Law enforcement agencies do not focus enough on the demand side of human sex trafficking, and punishment of the clients is minimal.
Response: The City of Anaheim does focus on the demand side of human sex trafficking and conduct operations based upon personnel availability throughout the year. The Cities of Anaheim, Santa Ana, and Irvine conduct joint operations as well to address these concerns. Laws also cripple police department’s ability to detain those involved in sex work. Even when a sex purchaser commonly referred to as “John” is arrested for prostitution he is ultimately fined and receives either no actual jail time or a very limited amount of time in jail.
F11. Victims and survivors need complex ongoing social service support.
Response: The City of Anaheim agrees with this finding. Additionally, the Task Force partners with advocates from Waymakers in order to address these complex survivor related issues. Agencies such as Waymakers is better equipped to provide long term care and transition out of the sex trafficking lifestyle for victims who need the support.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
R1. By June 30, 2024, the City of Anaheim and the County of Orange should secure a stable source of annual funding to incentivize all city law enforcement agencies in Orange County to participate with dedicated law enforcement personnel on the OCHTTF. (F1, F2) Response: The City of Anaheim agrees with this recommendation. However, this recommendation would need to have the support and implementation from all the executive level of each Orange County city. The City of Anaheim and Anaheim Police Department is willing to continue the lead in the Task Force with additional agency participation.
R4. By June 30, 2024, the City of Anaheim and the County of Orange should develop a database dedicated to Human Trafficking that specifically tracks Sex Trafficking networks and victims. (F1, F2, F5, F6, F10)
Response: The City of Anaheim agrees there should be a victim database, but the City of Anaheim and local law enforcement agencies are not the appropriate agency to house such information.
A county resource would need to create a database and determine how it would be utilized, accessibility and confidentiality concerns, and legal issues surrounding access to this information. Given the transitory nature of victims of human trafficking, it would be even more beneficial if there was a statewide database which would be easily accessible to both law enforcement and social service agencies.
R6. By June 30, 2024, the County of Orange should fully fund Education and Prevention Programs to address Human Sex Trafficking (F1, F2, F4, F6, F7, F8, F9, F11) Response: The City of Anaheim agrees with and supports this recommendation.