January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and enforcement will be stepped up in Oakland and across the country.
Lt. James Beere, who oversees the Oakland Police Department’s Special Victims Unit, says human sex trafficking is a problem they’ve been dealing with for years, but he does think it has gotten worse.
“We take it serious every day, but yes, in January and February you’ll start seeing a ramp up,” Beere told KCBS Radio.
He also said their department’s investigations are focused on the exploiters of the young girls used for prostitution.
According to the lieutenant, there are a few reasons why this is such a big problem in Oakland.
“We’re a port city, we’re right here across from San Francisco,” Beere said. “It’s been generational. We’ve had people come from all over the country because it’s known.”
Areas with high rates of poverty make it easier for pimps to find victims, as well. The dependency created between the two make it more difficult for investigators to get the truth out of the victim.
“Some of these young kids may have fallen in love with their exploiter,” Beere said. “We’ve seen that on multiple occasions.”
He gave KCBS Radio some tips on how to spot human sex trafficking, saying that any time you see a girl 12-16 years-old dressed in revealing clothing with multiple cars going up to her, there’s a good chance she might be a victim.
An Oakland man was recently sentenced to eight years in prison after admitting to pimping out a 14-year-old girl.