San Mateo County ramps up anti-trafficking efforts ahead of Super Bowl and World Cup
San Mateo County, California – As the Bay Area gets ready to host two of the world’s biggest athletic events, officials in San Mateo County are working quickly to make the area safer from human trafficking. Leaders argue that the most critical work starts long before the people gather for the Super Bowl and World Cup and must continue long after they go.
On December 8, local, state, and federal officials will gather in San Mateo to come up with a single plan to find and combat human trafficking in its early phases. County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe says the area can’t afford to wait for signs of disaster.
“Ignore human trafficking and you have a guarantee that we’ll have an explosion of it,” San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said. “But by preparing for it, we can substantially prevent it or shut it down, because presence — turning the light on — always is the best way to stop it.”
The Peninsula’s layout adds urgency to the effort. There are three big airports close by, and hotels and motels are along the main highways and roads that go to and from them. Officials argue that this mix gives traffickers exactly what they want: the opportunity to move around, demographics that are always changing, and the capacity to fit in. Leaders stress that the goal is sustainable change: a permanent system that can find both sex and labor trafficking no matter what time of year it is. This push has sped up because of approaching international events.
Experts argue that the folks who are most at risk are often the ones who are least able to get help. Mike Sena, who is in charge of the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center, said that young people, immigrants, and people with addiction problems are often victims. A lot of people can’t talk about their situations publicly, which lets traffickers work in the dark and without being watched.
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The meeting on December 8 will bring that silence to the front. County officials, federal partners, advocacy groups, and law enforcement agencies from across the region will get together to share information, talk about early warning signs, and plan communication all year long. Supervisor Jackie Speier, who is co-hosting the event with Supervisor Ray Mueller, argues that those with the power to intervene should take action.
“Human trafficking thrives in silence. As elected officials and stakeholders, we have to speak up for victims who don’t dare to seek help,” said San Mateo County Supervisor Jackie Speier, who is hosting the Dec. 8 convening in partnership with Supervisor Ray Mueller. “It will require an all-encompassing, ongoing community action plan to prevent this heinous crime.”
As part of that plan, health care personnel, transportation workers, and hotel and motel staff will be trained because they are most likely to come into contact with victims on a daily basis. Officials want to provide children with the information to spot symptoms of exploitation and the tools to properly report their concerns. Recent examples in the county have illustrated why this is necessary: workers being taken advantage of in private houses, unsafe working conditions in agriculture, and restaurant workers being threatened and having their pay stolen.
National studies have questioned whether big events directly contribute to more trafficking, but local authorities say that the data discussion misses the point. Traffickers are quick to take advantage of gaps in attention when there are a lot of people around. Sena says that trafficking rarely happens on its own; the money it makes generally goes to finance other crimes, like drug networks.
County officials say their goal is still clear as preparations ramp up. The focus is not on the show of world events, but on the people who could be hurt by them. They believe their duty is to defend the most vulnerable, not to respond to calendar dates. They say they are there to protect those who can’t protect themselves.
