Kimberly Gutierrez, Community Solutions
Sharan Dhanoa, South Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking
Perla Flores, Community Solutions
When planning operations with potential victim recovery, law enforcement should coordinate early with victim/legal service providers. This ensures that advocates are available for the operation. Law enforcement should provide key details like the operation's date/time, locations, estimated number of victims, special needs, victim demographics, languages spoken, involved agencies, safety concerns, housing needs, and any minors involved. Involving social workers from child protection services is crucial. Options for minors include medical care, releasing them to lawful guardians, appropriate court placements, or limited detainment. Advocacy and Legal Service Needs Advocacy services should offer in-person support during operations, emergency needs (shelter, food, healthcare, communication, transportation), and long-term case management. Legal services should provide in-person support, legal screening in immigration, employment, housing, benefits, and family law, contact information for follow-up, and assistance with Continued Presence paperwork. Phases of Multi-Victim Operation Support Preparation: Gather data on victims (number, gender, age, language, needs, safety risks). Brief service providers on operations, identify in-person responders (advocates, interpreters), and establish support teams. Ensure availability of shelters, long-term case management, and legal representation. Coordination between law enforcement, service providers, and DFCS/CPS. Operation: • Victim Services: Assign advocates, conduct individual sessions, screen for conflicts, provide emergency contact info, ensure basic needs are met, and support housing/transportation. • Legal Services: Assign attorneys, screen clients for legal needs, advocate for Continued Presence, and ensure appropriate legal services. • Law enforcement: victim-centered and trauma informed LE available for interviews. Forensic phone examiners on site to assist with real-time consent extractions for evidence. Follow-Up: • Victim Services: Follow up with clients, ensure handoff to advocates, debrief and document lessons learned. • Legal Services: Triage calls from survivors, schedule legal intakes, follow up on Continued Presence, and debrief with partners. Operations should be in neutral, confidential locations accessible to service providers and comfortable for victims. Establish point persons for each location and for advocacy and legal services. Plan logistics, ensuring service providers have early access to victims, basic needs are met, food options are available, and health screenings are conducted. Provide interpreter services, conflict screenings, and Continued Presence paperwork. Survivors not engaging at the scene should have a 24-hour support number. Screen for conflicts and provide support or connections to providers. For unidentified survivors, have a legal contact with language capacity and law enforcement liaison to connect former trafficking victims with services.