Los Angeles County Mayor Michael D. Antonovich applauds the announcement that the county’s Human Trafficking Task Force – established by the Sheriff’s Department in partnership with Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST) – will receive $1.5 million from the United States Department of Justice.

“Combatting human trafficking, especially sex trafficking of minors, is a top priority for the Board of Supervisors,” said Mayor Antonovich. “Sheriff McDonnell shares our mutual commitment to this important issue and this grant will be used to launch aggressive investigations to help end human trafficking and provide justice and assistance for young sex-trafficked victims.”

On May 5, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a joint motion by Mayor Antonovich and Supervisor Hilda Solis to send a 5-signature letter of support for the Sheriff’s participation in this grant application.

L.A. County Sheriff: Task Force Will Expand Efforts to Target and Effectively Prosecute Trafficking, Especially Sex Trafficking of Minors

“The devastating crime of human trafficking often is hidden behind the locked doors of a sweatshop or the supposedly ‘victimless’ crime of prostitution,” said United States Attorney Decker. “Law enforcement in Los Angeles is now redoubling efforts to combat this horrific offense with additional resources, improved training and a growing awareness that perpetrators are often victimizing children. I am fully committed to working with Sheriff Jim McDonnell – a national leader in this arena – to seeing that perpetrators of these offenses are brought to justice.”

“As those who commit this horrible crime and prey on trafficking victims become more sophisticated, we must work together to find new and comprehensive strategies,” said Sheriff McDonnell. “If we are to truly make a difference in combatting human trafficking, we must do more than simply prosecute the wrong-doers. We need a regional, multi-disciplinary approach that enables us to cross jurisdictional and agency lines. Working with other justice system and community partners, we will be able to amplify our ability to rescue and address the needs of the victim; investigate, effectively punish and proactively prevent criminal misconduct; and address the demand side by recognizing that buyers of sex with minors should be viewed as child molesters and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Human trafficking – which encompasses a wide variety of criminal conduct involving the exploitation of minor and adult victims who are compelled to engage in sex and labor – is a top priority for federal, state and local law enforcement agencies across the nation. The Los Angeles Human Trafficking Task Force is intended to be a model for the nation in the development of comprehensive, proactive and interdisciplinary strategies.

In recent years, the United States Attorney’s Office has brought a series of cases targeting human trafficking, most of which have targeted the sex trafficking of minors. Earlier this year, for example, a Long Beach man was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for running a sex trafficking operation that victimized young women who he forced to work as prostitutes (see: http://go.usa.gov/3tpHw). The establishment of the task force will allow for a more concentrated effort to develop prosecutions in this area.

Under Sheriff McDonnell’s leadership, LASD is in the process of dramatically expanding its Human Exploitation and Trafficking Team to more than 50 LASD personnel. The Task Force will be based at the LASD facility in Monterey Park and is expected to be operational in the coming weeks. In addition to Assistant United States Attorneys and LASD investigators, the Task Force will include the Federal Bureau of Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), state parole authorities, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, the Los Angeles County Probation Department, the Los Angeles County District Attorneys’ office and local participating police agencies.

The $1.5 million dollar grant is effective from October 1, 2015 through September 30, 2018 and will include significant resources for a partnership with the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST). Sheriff McDonnell noted that “CAST is an integral partner in this endeavor and will be a vital part of addressing the needs of young trafficking victims and ensuring that we are adopting a comprehensive approach to this troubling issue that addresses the needs of the trafficked child, effective prosecution of the trafficker, and strategies for reducing demand by potential trafficking buyers.”

“As a direct victim service provider, we know first-hand the incredible value of a strong partnership between the community and law enforcement to deliver justice and support to survivors of labor and sex trafficking throughout L.A. County,” said Kay Buck, CEO of CAST. “This task force is a new day for Los Angeles that will bring the necessary leadership and resources to our important collaboration – a partnership that will serve survivors and our community.”

In the Los Angeles region, the Justice Department and other law enforcement agencies have made significant commitments to developing training programs aimed at combating trafficking. This week, the Justice Department and HSI are co-sponsoring human trafficking training for four of the task forces that operate in the greater Los Angeles region. Next month, the United States Attorney’s Office will host a computer forensics training seminar to address technological issues that arise in all child exploitation investigations, including human trafficking cases. And in late October, the United States Attorney’s Office and the LASD will co-host a training program for federal, state and local law enforcement officers on complex human trafficking investigations.