AnonymousSource: Santa Maria Police Department
On Friday, 6/18/2021, the Santa Maria Police Department Detective Bureau-Special Victims Unit conducted a Human Trafficking Operation in the city of Santa Maria. The goal was to identify and locate “sex buyers,” locate and assist victims of human trafficking in addition to identifying those who are also forcing victims into the trade.
During the operation, (6) male subjects were arrested for solicitation of prostitution. All were cited and released from the scene for a court appearance at a later date.
Human Trafficking is a heinous crime and a morally reprehensible act that deprives a person of their liberty and dignity for another person’s gain. The Santa Maria Police Department strives to establish a relationship of trust with all victims and is committed to eradicating all forms of human trafficking in our community.
The SVU Detectives were assisted by the Santa Maria Police Department Special Enforcement Team and the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office.
To report tips about Human Trafficking, contact:
The Santa Maria Police Department
SMPD Tip Line: (805) 928-3781 EXT. 2677
Or
National Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888-373-7888 htts://humantraffickinghotline.org/
Every coverage of perpetrators and buyers of human trafficking should be publicly shown!
The headline is about human trafficking but the story doesn’t say if there were any human trafficking victims
Conflating human trafficking with prostitution lowers the seriousness of human trafficking.
So 6 Johns were busted for seeking to pay for consensual sex and zero actual human traffickers were found. I understand there is something to be said for lowering the demand, but not much. Tax dollars are better spent elsewhere.
How do you know it was consensual and that person wasn’t trafficked or have a pimp?
The Criminal Justice system is a big business they need clients (criminals) to stay well funded and grow the business. The more non-violent offenders they can prosecute and incarcerate the better for business .
@11:19…uh, how do you think this kind of operation works? The “prostitutes” are undercover police officers, not potentially trafficked individuals. Zero chance of catching human traffickers with this kind of operation, yet they still write the article as if it is related or at all possible. This operation does close to NOTHING for actual victims of human trafficking, make no mistake.
DOULIE: exactly. That’s the point. Arresting Johns doesn’t stop trafficking. Prostitution is the oldest trade in history. Like the drug war, this will never end. Humans love sex and many are willing to pay for it. So, if you want to combat sex trafficking, quit wasting time on men who are intending to pay for consensual sex. Focus these “stings” on the pimps or websites that are providing the services.