Community
Operation Reclaim and Rebuild
| Nature of Incident: | Operation Reclaim and Rebuild | ||
| Report Number: | N/A |
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| Location: | San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura County locations | ||
| Date & Time: | January 27, 2020 – January 31, 2020 | ||
| Unit(s) Responsible: | Ventura County Human Trafficking Task Force | ||
| Narrative: | |||
During the week of January 27- 31, 2020, Detectives from the Ventura County Human Trafficking Task Force (VCHTTF) partnered with San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Office, Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office, and Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office to participate in Operation Reclaim and Rebuild. Throughout the week, investigators went to locations known for sex trafficking activity and set up sting operations. Investigators also targeted businesses in which there have been reports of illegal sexual activity. January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Operation Reclaim and Rebuild traditionally occurs during the month of January when local, state and federal law enforcement agencies join for enforcement efforts. Our local participation is a testament that human trafficking will not be tolerated in Ventura County or on the California Central Coast. Our goal was to identify victims of sexual exploitation, arrest the human traffickers or pimps, and provide social services to potential human trafficking victims. Detectives believe that these proactive enforcement efforts are vital to harnessing the growing human trafficking problems. Throughout the week, more than 20 victims were contacted and connected with local victim resources. There were over 30 arrests made for various criminal violations including solicitation of prostitution, possession of drugs, and possession of a stolen firearm. Several of these suspects were arrested for pimping and pandering by offering to provide sexual services of the victim in return for money. Detectives along with Ventura City Code Enforcement Officers also conducted massage parlor compliance checks, which resulted in several municipal violations. These locations have also been flagged for possible human trafficking activity. The Ventura County Human Trafficking Task Force is a task force made up of members from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, Ventura Police Department, Santa Paula Police Department, Simi Valley Police Department, Oxnard Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, California Department of Justice, and several victim service providers. The primary mission of the task force is to combat sex and/or labor trafficking of humans within Ventura County. The Ventura County Task force works closely with surrounding cities and counties to fulfill our mission. Detectives encourage any member of the community to call “211” if you believe you are victim or know a victim of human trafficking. This number is a one call to victim centered services or law enforcement human trafficking resources. |
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| Prepared by: | Detective Kathryn Torres | ||
| News Release Date: | 02/06/2020 | ||
| Media Follow-Up Contact: | Detective Kathryn Torres Work Phone (805) 797-7121 [email protected] |
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| Approved by: |
Captain Brian Slominski YES NO |
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Address/Location
Ventura County Sheriff's Office
800 S Victoria Ave
Ventura, CA 93003
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 805-654-9511