Six teenage girls were rescued from human trafficking in Portland.
The girls, aged 17 to 13, were involved in prostitution-related behavior along the 82nd Avenue area. They were all recovered within three weeks of each other, which is an unusually high rate. Each month, police officers routinely rescue one to two teenage females.
It is uncertain if there is a relationship between the recent six girls. On Thursday, Sgt. Onest Robert of the Portland Police Bureau’s Human Trafficking Unit stated, “I believe we’ll find a thread or something that connects all of these victims.”
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office outlined how investigations like this go. Aileen Santoyo, Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney, stated that the most important thing we need survivors to report is human trafficking. “How they got there, who helped them get there, who’s facilitating this, who is gaining the money from it?”
According to officials, it can take years for victims to be willing to communicate after substantial trauma.
“They tell us things like, ‘The majority of people I meet wish they were younger.'” They asked, ‘Could you pass for 12?’ So just supporting them as a child who should not be viewed as a commodity, but rather as a child. Getting them clothes.” Getting them food,” said Esther Garrett of Safety Compass, an organization that helps survivors of exploitation in the sex industry.
Other approaches are being taken to curb trafficking. This week, the Portland City Council passed legislation to make business owners liable for human or drug trafficking near their businesses.
The legislation amends an existing public nuisance code, designating a business as a chronic nuisance if three or more nuisance reports are submitted within 90 days. Businesses may face fines and closure if they do not improve security and employee training. “We think that will help a lot,” Robert added. “It will keep hotel owners accountable. It will keep businesses accountable for what is going on since it will require everyone to work together to fix this problem.”
However, the projected Portland Police Bureau budget for the upcoming fiscal year involves a 35% cut in the Victims Services Unit. Robert said it’s uncertain what effect that would have.
Leave a Comment