Over a five-day period, the San Bernardino County Human Trafficking Task Force conducted enforcement. Operations were conducted throughout the county and specifically within the cities of Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino, and Victorville. Specific areas were selected for enforcement by investigators, due to the high volume of activity and advertisements directly related to the commercial sex trafficking industry. The operations consisted of street level enforcement, on-line advertisement enforcement and offender enforcement. Over the course of the operation, 36 suspects were arrested for violations associated with prostitution and other crimes. Twelve victims of human trafficking were located and rescued. Four sex traffickers (Pimps) were identified.
The San Bernardino County Human Trafficking Task Force is made up of investigators from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, San Bernardino County Probation Department, California Highway Patrol, California State Parole, and the Department of Homeland Security.
Victim support and services was provided by the Open-Door Program of San Bernardino. Open Door – Family Assistance Program is a non-profit organization which supports victims of human trafficking within the County of San Bernardino. The Open-Door Program empowers families, victims, and survivors who have been affected by human trafficking and/or sexual exploitation by providing the opportunity to heal and transform their lives. (www.familyassist.org)
Anyone wishing to report activities or concerns related to Human Trafficking to the San Bernardino County Human Trafficking Task Force, can do so directly by calling (909) 387-8400 or by email at humantrafficking@sbcsd.org. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may contact We-Tip at 1-888-78-CRIME or you may leave information on the WE-Tip Hotline at www.wetip.com
Source: San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department
