Human Trafficking Volunteer Task Force Comes To Long Beach

Today I participated in the Human Trafficking Volunteer Task Force. We went to three bars in District Two to see if they were in compliance with State Law that requires a poster with the trafficking hotline was prominently displayed by the front door where customers could see it. 

One out of three bars, Ferns on 4th Street, was already in compliance. The other two were willing to put up the posters pretty much on the spot.

Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which traffickers use force, fraud, or coercion to control victims for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts or labor services against his/her will.

Since the posters began going up, there have been a significant increase in calls to the Human Trafficking Hotline. The law requiring bars to display the poster was actually passed several years back. Fines for failing to display the poster are $500 for the first 30 days, and $1000 for each additional 30 days there after. 

The hotline which is: 1 (888) 373-7888 is staffed seven days a week. It is manned by volunteers who can field several different languages. The National Human Trafficking Resource Center coordinates the outreach efforts. Basically, outreach sends volunteers out to venues that are expected to comply with the law, speaks with the managers and owners of the venue about the law, provides the materials to be in compliance if needed and tracks their efforts for the District Attorney in case the venue refuses to comply.