A week-long statewide crackdown on human trafficking resulted in over 600 arrests and the rescue of 170 people, including children as young as 13, according to the Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Task Force.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna stated that in the final week of January, local, state, and federal agencies collaborated on “Operation Reclaim and Rebuild,” an initiative aimed at both solicitors and providers involved in the trafficking of young girls and boys.
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“Human trafficking and child exploitation are devastating crimes that target the most vulnerable amongst us,” Luna said.
Authorities said 156 adults and 14 children were rescued across California, with the majority of the operation concentrated on Los Angeles County, which officials describe as a hotbed for human trafficking activity. During the weeklong sting, authorities also seized several guns.
Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton of the Los Angeles Police Department stated that the rescue of minors and adults is merely the beginning of a longer process.
“Survivors need care. They need time, they need a chance to rebuild their lives. And our partnerships with these organizations are what allows those individuals to reclaim their lives and rebuild their lives,” he said.
Service organizations are working with the task force to provide support ranging from emergency care to long-term recovery services, allowing the victims to start over and rebuild their lives. Saving Innocence’s Sara Elander emphasized the importance of coordination between agencies and organizations.
“Because together, we create something far greater than the sum of all of our parts. A unified and collective, collaborative response. To meet survivors just where they are, with just what they need,” she said.
Human trafficking of a minor is a felony in California, whereas trafficking of an adult is a misdemeanor. Nathan Hochman, the Los Angeles County District Attorney, urged lawmakers to strengthen existing statutes.
“So I would ask our state leaders who created the felony dealing with minors involved with human sex trafficking, to also go ahead and make it all of human and sex trafficking is a violent and serious offense,” he said.
