Unfortunately, and incomprehensibly, we are growing accustomed to seeing daily news reports of human trafficking and exploitation of children and adults. Thanks to the internet, this multi-billion dollar industry, which boasts over 100,000 dedicated websites, is among the fastest growing online business sectors in the United States. At what point do we say enough already? The answer is NOW!

Human trafficking cannot be ignored or denied any longer. This topic can be extremely uncomfortable to acknowledge, but we can make a difference by being proactive. This is a matter of life and death!

Every one of us has the potential to discover and report a human trafficking situation. While some victims are kept behind locked doors, others are often hidden right in front of us in such locations as construction sites, restaurants, elder care centers, nail salons, agricultural fields, escort services, truck stops, and hotels. You can learn indicators of human trafficking and effective questions you can ask in order to empower yourself to act when your gut tells you that something is wrong and make a real difference.

Traffickers’ use of coercion — such as threats of deportation or physical harm to the victim or family members — is so powerful that, even if you reach out to victims, they may be too fearful to reach out for or accept your help. Therefore, it is important to recognize the enormous amount of courage it takes if a trafficked victim to reach out for help and action should be taken immediately to remove them from their abuser. When a human trafficked victim does reach out to someone, they probably want out now.

The suggestions set forth in this article are not exhaustive and are merely a starting point.  Starting the conversation and educating ourselves and others is the critical first step in ending human trafficking.

What to look for
Some key red flags to alert you to a potential trafficking situation that should be reported:

– Suspected victim is living with employer;

– Poor living conditions, including blocking windows so others cannot see inside;

– Multiple children/people in cramped space and rarely seen, with numerous adults coming in and out of the property;

– Inability to speak to a suspected victim alone;

– If you are able to speak with the suspected victim, the answers appear to be scripted and rehearsed;

– Employer is holding identity documents;

– Signs of physical abuse;

– Suspected victim appears submissive or fearful;

– Very little or no payment;

– Prostitution of children under 18.

Questions to ask:
Assuming you have the opportunity to speak with a potential victim privately and without jeopardizing the victim’s safety, here are some sample questions to ask:

– Can you leave your job if you want to?

– Can you come and go as you please?

– If you have tried to leave, have you been hurt or threatened?

– Has your family been threatened?

– Do you live with your employer?

– Where do you sleep and eat?

– Are you in debt to your employer?

– Do you have your passport/identification? Who has it?

Where to get help and education about human trafficking
If you believe you have identified someone currently in the trafficking situation, alert local law enforcement immediately by calling 911. You may also want to alert the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, a national 24-hour, toll-free, multilingual anti-trafficking hotline. It may be unsafe to attempt to rescue a trafficking victim on your own. You have no way of knowing how the trafficker may react and retaliate against the victim or you.

If, however, you identify a victim who has escaped the trafficking situation, there are a number of organizations to whom the victim can be referred for help with shelter, medical care, legal assistance, and other critical services. Call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 to report a tip, connect with anti-trafficking services in your area, or request training and technical assistance, general information, or specific anti-trafficking resources. The Hotline is equipped to handle calls from all regions of the United States from a wide range of callers, including potential trafficking victims, community members, law enforcement, medical professionals, legal professionals, service providers, researchers, students, and policymakers.

Polaris, another nonprofit organization, provides human trafficking victims and survivors with critical support, local resources, training, and solutions to eradicate human trafficking. You can contact them to get help and stay safe through the BeFree Text line (text HELP to 233733) or 202-790-6300.

 

Everyone wants human trafficking stopped. Starting a discussion and educating others will make a difference! Will you accept this challenge?

“It ought to concern every person, because of our common humanity. It ought to concern every community, because it tears at our social fabric. It ought to concern every business, because it distorts markets. It ought to concern every nation, because it endangers public health and fuels violence and organized crime. I’m talking about the injustice, the outrage, of human trafficking, which must be called by its true name — modern slavery.” – President Barack Obama, Sept. 25, 2012

The most common forms of human trafficking are sex trafficking, forced labor and debt bondage. While any form of human trafficking is reprehensible and deserves attention, the focus of this article will be sexually exploited children. This is a difficult and uncomfortable topic, but denial and silence is killing and permanently harming our children.

Sexual exploitation of children by force, fraud, or coercion in the United States is misunderstood.  Many believe it happens in other countries, not right before our eyes in the United States.

This week’s question comes from Jim J. in the Excelsior, who asks:

Q: “My neighbor died. She was such a nice lady. I miss her and I also miss how she used to care for her yard. Her son inherited the place, he was never any good to her and was always trouble growing up. He hasn’t gotten any better with age. Since he moved in, he has been “collecting things” — mostly old cars but also tires, rims and other auto parts. He uses the garage to fix up old cars that he then sells. Most of the junk just stays there and rusts. It’s a scrap yard. Weeds are growing, and I have seen rats running in and out. It’s disgusting. What can I do about it?”

A: Dear Jim, you have a right to expect that your neighbor will keep their property reasonably clean. The conditions you referred to are commonly known as “blight,” and San Francisco has an ordinance — called the Community Preservation and Blight Reduction Act, contained within the Administrative Code — that codifies the responsibilities of a landowner to maintain their property.

The Board of Supervisors determined blighted properties are those that are in a condition of significant deterioration or disrepair, attract vagrants, gang members and other criminal elements as prime locations to conduct their illegal criminal activities, cause general deterioration and instability and substantially endanger the health and safety of residents of the blighted properties and of the surrounding neighborhoods. The Department of Public Works is empowered to issue notices of violation and take action to remedy blighted properties under the doctrine of nuisance.

The presence of any accumulation of filth, garbage, decaying animal or vegetable matter, waste paper, hay, grass, straw, weeds, vegetation overgrowth, litter, trash, cigarette or cigar butts, unsanitary debris, waste material, animal or human excrement is a nuisance prohibited under law. Likewise, “overgrown, dead or decayed trees, weeds or other vegetation, rank growth, rubbish, junk, garbage, litter, debris, flyers or circulars” are recognized as a fire hazards and conditions that promote the spread of vermin.

As to the “scrap yard,” the Administrative Code specifically identifies any property that contains, in the outdoor area, any refrigerator, washing machine, sink, stove, heater, boiler, tank or any other household equipment, machinery, furniture, or item, appliance or appliances as being blighted.

Whenever the director of DPW determines that a property is blighted, he or she may require or take any necessary abatement or other enforcement actions to cause the property blight to be abated. The director, or his or her appointee, can inspect the property and require the owner to pay for a property inspection fee of up to $250. DPW can also issue an abatement order requiring the landowner to address the issues, as soon as possible, and no later than 15 days after notice of the violation, although they can apply for an extension. A person cited also can request a hearing challenging the citation in front of an administrative law judge.

The DPW director can file a notice of abatement against the title of a delinquent property owner. If the owner fails to abate the nuisance, the director can order DPW to do so and then place a lien on the landowners’ property. A lien is a notice filed in the County Recorder’s Office against the title that indicates a debt is owed to The City for the costs associated with the abatement. Upon sale or transfer of the property, The City must be paid in order to secure clear title.

Jim, I suggest you contact DPW either by dialing 311 or by going to the sf311.org website. Search “blight” and request that they come out and inspect the property. Hopefully, they will do so, serve a citation and cause the neighbor to abate the nuisance. In case DPW fails to take action, you, as an owner affected by the blight, can request an injunction in San Francisco Superior Court.

For Immediate Release:

 Press Conference with Nailah Winkfield, mother of Jahi McMath

On July 3, 2018 at 1:00 pm, Nailah Winkfield will present at a press conference to be held at the Dolan Law Firm, 1438 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102.