Supervisors Approve $800k For New Positions Focussed On Domestic Violence, Trafficking In San Mateo County

Redwood City, CA — The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors approved $831,829 in funding to establish eight new public safety positions, focusing on domestic violence, human trafficking and survivor support at their February meeting.

The investment is intended to strengthen the County’s human trafficking initiative, provide staffing for the new Family Justice Center and add two criminalists to meet growing demand for forensic testing, including DNA analysis, supervisors said.

“Survivors of all backgrounds need more critical support in San Mateo County,” said Board of Supervisors President Noelia Corzo. “Staffing the Family Justice Center moves us one step closer to opening the doors to a clear path towards safety, healing and a life free of abuse.”

The new Family Justice Center, which is currently under development, is designed to deliver a coordinated, survivor-centered response to domestic violence and other forms of abuse by bringing law enforcement, prosecutors, advocates and service providers together in one location, according to the County. Officials said that by locating both public agencies and private partners in the same place, the center will reduce the number of times survivors must recount traumatic experiences and limit the number of offices they must visit.

To specifically address human trafficking, the Board approved new positions intended to expand public education and prevention while strengthening coordination among public agencies and community-based organizations that support survivors, supervisors said.

Additionally, the Sheriff’s Office is set to add one criminalist to the Forensic Biology DNA Unit and another to the Controlled Substances Unit. This is intended to help reduce case backlogs and keep pace with rising caseloads and ongoing demand, officials said.