San Rafael, CA – When it comes to the local efforts to stop human trafficking in Marin County, one of the first tasks is to convince everyone that it exists.
(From left) Rosemary Slote of the DA's Office, Supervisor Judy Arnold and Gina Vucci of the Marin Coalition to End Human Trafficking with the printed Board of Supervisors resolution.During the month of January, which the Marin County Board of Supervisors declared as
Human Trafficking Awareness Month at its January 23 meeting, staff from the
Marin County District Attorney’s Office and members of the
Marin County Coalition to End Human Trafficking are conveying stories that confirm human trafficking is taking place within the county borders. The DA’s Office also is involved in a related fundraising event on March 2 in San Rafael.
California has twice as many human trafficking cases than any other U.S. state. The FBI has identified that three of the top five hot spots for human trafficking in the U.S. are Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego. Marin plays an integral role in the Bay Area hub of human trafficking.
In 2017, the DA’s office charged Jeffery Jenkins with trafficking a minor for purposes of prostitution. The case arose when the San Rafael Police Department received information that a runaway juvenile was possibly the victim of human trafficking and was believed to be staying in San Rafael. The San Rafael Street Crimes Unit contacted and recovered the juvenile victim at a local hotel.
Further investigation led to the arrest and conviction of Jenkins, 26, who pled guilty on November 30, 2017, to a felony pimping violation and possession of methamphetamine for sale. Jenkins was sentenced to an aggravated prison term of nine years and four months because of his prior criminal history.
Last year the Marin County Coalition to End Human Trafficking hosted community forums on human trafficking at local libraries and coalition members visited local businesses to distribute posters with hotline information to help encourage individuals to report possible instances of human trafficking. This month the DA’s Office is accelerating public outreach about human trafficking and working closely with the coalition on public education, again distributing posters to businesses that are legally obligated to post human trafficking prevention material.
The coalition has scheduled a March 2 event at Marin Covenant Church auditorium to provide a forum for local human trafficking abolitionists and law enforcement experts. The event will include a screening of the documentary film, “I Am Jane Doe,” which is narrated by Oscar-nominated actress Jessica Chastain. The film chronicles the epic battle that several American mothers are waging on behalf of their underage daughters who were bought and sold for sexual purposes. The documentary, made to debunk the myth that this crime only happens in developing countries, raises funds to help victims of human trafficking.
General admission tickets for the March 2nd event are $25, but only $10 for students. VIP tickets are $100 and include reserved seating and a pre-event gathering. Donations are being accepted on EndHumanTraffickingInMarin.eventbrite.com. The fundraiser begins at 6:30 p.m. Marin Covenant Church is at 195 North Redwood Drive, San Rafael.
Learn more about the coalition at www.mcceht.org.