Trafficking Sweep Uncovers Hidden Lives In Sonoma County

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Officers in Santa Rosa worked with federal, county and local agencies on Wednesday on a coordinated operation aimed at identifying potential victims of human trafficking and connecting them with support services, police said.

The operation, led by the Santa Rosa Police Department Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Unit, focused on people engaged in commercial sex who may have been working under conditions of force, fraud or coercion, or who were otherwise vulnerable to exploitation.

Detectives contacted five women during the operation and offered each of them support services and resources. All five were later released from the scene, police said.

Victim advocates from Verity, a Sonoma County nonprofit that provides services to survivors of human trafficking and sexual violence, were present to help connect individuals with assistance and long-term support.

Police said commercial sex is considered human trafficking when money or goods are exchanged under conditions involving coercion, fraud or force, or when minors are involved, because such circumstances undermine meaningful consent.

The operation involved multiple agencies, including the FBI, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office, the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety, the Petaluma Police Department, the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center and the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office.

Authorities encouraged anyone who may be a victim of human trafficking or knows someone who may be affected to contact local law enforcement, Verity or the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline at (707) 545-7273, or the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at (888) 373-7888.

By Bay City News
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