California has the notorious distinction of being one of the nation’s top destinations for human
trafficking. California consistently ranks number one in the nation in the number of human
trafficking cases reported to the national human trafficking hotline. The California Attorney
General has described human trafficking as “pervasive” within the State of California. In recent
years, cities across the state have seen an alarming spike in the number of human trafficking cases.
Human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world. Traffickers have learned
that trafficking a person is much more profitable than trafficking other items of property, such as
guns and drugs, since human beings are a reusable commodity. The highly profitable and reusable
nature of trafficking victims has resulted in a rapidly growing criminal industry on our city streets
and online. Traffickers can make upwards of $2,500 a day forcibly selling victims in the sex trade.
California law plays a pivotal role in the ability to combat human trafficking and prevent repeat
offenders from continuously enslaving additional victims. Under current California law, human
trafficking is defined as a “non-serious” and “non-violent” crime. This also makes human
trafficking a “non-strike” offense. The designation of human trafficking as a “non-serious” and
“non-violent” crime has significant consequences under the law and permits traffickers to receive
greater leniency under the law than those convicted of “serious” and “violent” crimes. As a result,
human trafficking falls into the same category as other low level felony crimes such as vandalism,
theft, and drug sales.
The horrific reality is that human trafficking is anything but non-serious and non-violent. By
definition, human trafficking charges apply to those who are sexually exploiting or attempting to
sexually exploit children and those who use force, fear, fraud, deceit, coercion, violence, duress,
menace or an unlawful threat of injury on an adult that results in the substantial and sustained
deprivation of the adult victim’s liberty for the purposes of obtaining forced labor, services, or
sexual exploitation.
Sex trafficking victims are forced to have sex with hundreds of strangers a year. Trafficking
victims are not permitted to eat, sleep, rest, or receive other basic life necessities until they meet the
daily demands of their traffickers. Every aspect of their life is controlled by the trafficker and
victims are forced to live in an isolated world where terror and abuse reign. Traffickers thrive in a
culture that reduces human beings to mere property to be sold and exploited at the trafficker’s will.
Labor trafficking is no less insidious, as victims of labor trafficking are forced to work long hours
in unsanitary and inhumane working conditions for little or no pay. Labor traffickers will often tell
their victims they will not be believed if they try to report the crime and the authorities will deport
them. Like sex traffickers, labor traffickers maintain total control over their victims by using a
combination of physical force and psychological manipulation.
Both state and federal law enforcement agencies, including the California Attorney General, define
human trafficking as “modern-day slavery.” This label is well-deserved as traffickers control every
aspect of a victim’s life. Traffickers are exploiters of the worst kind, frequently targeting the most
vulnerable and abused of society for their own financial and sexual exploitation. Women, children,
and minorities are particularly vulnerable for exploitation, as are members of the LBTQ
community.
For far too long in California, human traffickers have been treated under the law as “non-serious”
and “non-violent” offenders. I urge you to support California Senate Bill SB 1042 which will
change the law to make human trafficking a “serious” and “violent” crime. SB 1042 will also
designate human trafficking as a “strike” offense. SB 1042 will provide greater protection to
trafficking victims and send a clear message that we will no longer treat this as a non-serious and
non-violent crime in California.
Please join me in supporting this bill by endorsing it at: http://www.sb1042.news/Support. I
encourage you to call the offices of the State Senators on the Public Safety Committee and ask to
speak with their Legislative Director to express you support of SB 1042.
Senator Steven Bradford (Chair)
Capitol Office Phone. 916-651-4035
Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (Vice Chair)
Capitol Office Phone. 916-651-4023
Senator Sydney Kamlager
Capitol Office Phone. 916-651-4030
Senator Nancy Skinner
Capitol Office Phone. 916-651-4009
Senator Scott D. Wiener
Capitol Office Phone. 916-651-4011
I also encourage you to share your support for this bill online and with your friends. Together we
can bring greater awareness to this horrific crime and provide greater protections for victims of
human trafficking in California.
TINY PLANT BANDS - Titanium Pan - TITNIA.
ReplyDeleteA staple of traditional Asian cuisine, this fine pan titanium legs is made keith titanium with titanium cross necklace the polished titanium help of TINY TINY CHANG, a fine-dining where is titanium found member of the Authentic Chinese $12.00 · In stock