December 2015 – December 2016: Implementing LASD’s Novel Approach
The creation of the Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Task Force was another critical sign of progress; nonetheless, LASD and its partners now faced the challenge of effectively implementing their new approach. This hinged in part on fostering a collaborative dynamic among numerous disparate organizations. The task force included 25 government agencies (five federal, four state, and ten municipal) and 11 non-governmental organizations, many of which, as the Sheriff explained, had previously operated in silos. As McDonnell acknowledged, there were initially “some cultural issues…[involving] trying to get everybody on the same page.” Being co-located helped to focus the group on a common goal. “At this point,” McDonnell said, “it doesn’t matter with which agency the detective is employed; because they all work as equal partners on the regional task force, share the same mission, and handle the same cases.”
LASD and its partners also had to develop and implement tactics to realize their vision of helping victims, prosecuting traffickers, and reducing demand. The task force has therefore trained and deployed decoy personnel who can identify and help prosecute the pimps and “Johns.” The group has also expanded the County’s first responder protocol for commercially sexually exploited children. The protocol—which involves the Human Trafficking Bureau, the Departments of Probation and Children and Family Services, and victim-centered service providers—prioritizes an “expeditious response”; “a victim-centered, strength-based approach”; and an effort to “build relationships with victims.” More broadly, the protocol has helped to clarify the role of the task force’s different members. McDonnell said, “They know right away when someone comes in; the time of day or night does not matter. They know the expectations of victims as well as the expectations of their task force partners.”
Finally, the task force has prioritized messaging and in particular emphasized that children can neither be viewed nor treated as prostitutes. To that end, the organization’s mantra is “There’s No Such Thing as a Child Prostitute.” This reflects the notion that a young child cannot willingly prostitute him/herself and calls attention to the gravity of this crime. McDonnell explained:
I believe if we call it what it is, the more people will understand how depraved sex trafficking truly is. You know, [the public] people, even the Johns, have this idea that it’s a victimless crime, and they rationalize the behavior. But, this is slavery; an immoral practice we outlawed more than 150 years ago. And, it’s happening all around us by everyday people who somehow maintain a positive self-image.
2017 and Beyond: Impact and the Path Ahead
A little over two years into his tenure as Sheriff, McDonnell still sees opportunities to strengthen efforts to combat human trafficking. He would like to expand the task force’s use of cyber technology, involve more local partners, and educate the public and other stakeholders who may be able to report instances of sex trafficking. “[Too] often,” McDonnell said, “when we arrest somebody and somebody says something, they say, ‘Well you know, I didn’t know what was going on. I didn’t want to bother you.’ Bother us? You’re saving a life for some young kid by calling us, and that’s the kind of message we’re trying to get out there.”
Even as LASD strives to disseminate this message, the organization’s efforts have already made an enormous impact. Since November 2015, LASD and its partners have rescued 177 victims (including 130 children) and made 649 arrests. More broadly, they have contributed to a realization that it is imperative to examine problems through a fresh lens. “You think,” McDonnell said, “How many other things, [on] how many other fronts, are we doing… the same thing on that? If we see it differently, we may treat it differently and get better results.”