READER'S EDITORIALS: COMMERCIAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN: THE BATTLE AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY

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By Yusef Miller

May 7, 2023 (San Diego) - Sex Trafficking is an insidious crime, which is found throughout our county, consuming our women and girls mostly, but men and boys are also vulnerable. Sex trafficking, a form of sexual exploitation that uses force, fraud or coercion to trap a person into a seemingly endless state of abuse and terror.  It is not consensual, though it may appear to be on the surface; for survival sake.

Trafficking is riddled with drug abuse and addiction, sexually transmitted diseases; targeting as a high risk groups; the most vulnerable ages 14-16 years old, the outcast, the runaway, the poor, especially the homeless, including the LGBTQ+ communities, all of which we believe factor into the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous and Black women and girls. 

Senate Bill 357 is an attempt to avoid unnecessary incarceration of the victimized, by using a “hands off” approach, this bill would repeal provisions related to loitering with the intent to commit prostitution; so that Law Enforcement will not be able to contact those people who are soliciting for prostitution. 

On the surface this seems like a great tool to prevent the reports of perceived or real harassment and discrimination against Black and trans communities, particularly women of color.  But this is the wrong route.  Instead legalizing the soliciting for the act of prostitution, because officers might abuse their authority, we should make strict criteria against such abuse, by enforcing behavior corrective discipline for unreasonable problematic arrests by Law Enforcement Officials.   

Secondly, we need non-punitive contact of individuals who are looking for exit routes under the escort of Law, someone who can accept safety, shelter and services in a way that won’t result in physical abuse by traffickers that may come with leaving with non-profit advocates.  Traffickers will not approach Officers and demand that the survivor exit vehicles; or else face swift and brutal retaliation.

So if SB357 is passed, though well intended “on paper,” it will have a disastrous impact on services, safety and escape from oppression for survivors of human trafficking.

That is why we are hosting a discussion about the problems with SB357 on May 11 from 6-8 p.m. at the Roberto Alvarez Auditorium on 3121 School Lane in Lemon Grove.  The speaker will be survivor leader Marjorie Saylor.

San Diego County is on the top 13 list of worst places in terms of human trafficking in the entire country, and please don’t be mislead into blaming our “Brown Border” with Mexico.  Over 80% of our survivors and perpetrators are American born and raised; this is an American problem, and it will take an American solution. San Diego is a tourist town, and this is human trafficking is one of the crimes associated with tourism.

The best way out of this type of crisis is not repealing the crime law, but rather using the current multi-pronged approach.  We are blessed in San Diego to have a responsive county, a DA who’s committed to eradicate trafficking with survivor centered resources and perpetrator-centered prosecutions.

The County Board of Supervisor's Anti-Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Advisory Council, in collaboration with a plethora of NGO’s, non-profit, grassroots and survivor-led organizations throughout the county.  

Last but not least is education.  Everyone is needed in this fight, male and female, high risk factor and “low” risk. Our children these days are trafficked while living under our roof.  We as parents, friends and associates need to support legislations to increase training of mandatory reporter and the wider community of the dangers.

We must use a survivor-centered escape route contact strategy that will not be used to abuse and harass BIPOC and trans people.

The opinions in this reader’s editorial reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine.  To submit an editorial for consideration, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org.


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