MARTINEZ, Calif. (January 14, 2020) – The Contra Costa Human Trafficking Coalition will be working with local agencies to raise awareness about human trafficking in Contra Costa County throughout the month of January. The FBI has identified California as one of the nation’s top destination states for those who illegally traffic people.
Contra Costa County is a natural corridor for human trafficking activities with its linkage to major metropolitan areas like Oakland and San Francisco via public transportation (BART), and its accessibility to Los Angeles and Sacramento via major highways such as 680, 80 and 5 (via Highway 4). Though human trafficking is illegal, victims often do not know where to turn for help and community members may not know how to report suspicious situations.
This January, the Coalition, in partnership with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, will run an awareness campaign with a focus on labor trafficking. Specifically, the campaign will target trafficking in the restaurant, hotel and cleaning service industries. Ads will run on County Connection, Tri-Delta Transit and WestCAT buses throughout the month.
As part of the County’s awareness-raising efforts, the Coalition announced several events throughout the month including the Board of Supervisors Human Trafficking Awareness Month Proclamation on Tuesday, January 21, a Human Trafficking Community Day of Action in Richmond on Thursday, January 23, and a panel Red Sand Project/panel discussion/ in Antioch on Friday, January 24. For a full list of Human Trafficking Awareness events and details from various agencies, visit https://www.contracostacoalition.org/calendar.
Contra Costa County’s Human Trafficking Coalition is a partnership working to raise awareness, build capacity, and increase access to services for victims of human trafficking. The goals of the multi-agency collaboration include conducting public awareness activities; providing training, technical assistance and a forum to share best practices; establishing policies and protocols; and creating a coordinated system of care. The Coalition is a project of The Alliance to End Abuse. For more information about The Contra Costa Human Trafficking Coalition, visit www.contracostacoalition.org. To attend a Human Trafficking Awareness Month event, contact Claudia Gonzalez at cgonzalez@ehsd.cccounty.us or 925.608.4970.