Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety
For Immediate Release: January 1, 2023
Issued by: J. P. Pritchard, Community Engagement Liaison-PIO
707-870-0933, [email protected]
January is Human Trafficking Month, and nothing creates a greater sense of urgency on this issue than evidence that human exploitation exists in our area. On December 22, 2022, officers from the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety’s Community Oriented Problem Solving (COPS) Team conducted an investigation regarding human trafficking at a Rohnert Park hotel in the 6000 block of Redwood Drive. It was identified during that search that two females, one adult and one juvenile, had indeed been exploited in human trafficking crimes committed by the arrested party. The rescued survivors were provided essential advocate services, and the juvenile survivor was released to her parents.
This local incident is an example of why providing human trafficking awareness and prevention tips to our county are critical in decreasing victimization of this type in the future. As District Attorney Elect, Carla Rodriguez described, “human trafficking, whether it be for sexual exploitation or forced labor, is happening all around us in Sonoma County. Men, women, and children alike are regularly coerced or forced into unimaginable circumstances. We need to spread the word about the harsh realities of human trafficking. It can happen to anyone."
Collaborating together, the Sonoma County Human Trafficking Task Force (which is comprised of all local law enforcement agencies, the District Attorney’s Office, the Family Justice Center, a variety of social service departments, and not-for-profit entities that provide counseling, shelter, and survivor support) have joined together to host an important human trafficking safety fair.
The free informational event, which aims to arm the public with resources, safety tips, and a better understanding of how to identify and report human trafficking situations, will be held at the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety (500 City Center Drive -Rohnert Park) on January 17, 2023, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Currently, the human trafficking fair has over 20 informational booths confirmed with outreach from organizations such as the Polly Klaas Foundation, Verity, Redemption House of the North Bay, Mentor Me-Petaluma People’s Services, Latino Service Providers, Inter-Tribal Council of California, Commission on Human Rights, Sonoma County Pride, Santa Rosa Junior College, and more.
Having law enforcement agencies accessible for the public to ask direct questions about reporting human trafficking observations is key to building community confidence. For that reason, the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety, Sherriff’s Office, Sonoma State University Police, and California Highway Patrol will be present.
Tim Mattos, Rohnert Park DPS-Chief of Police, acknowledged the importance of the relationships between law enforcement agencies and the community organizations that serve human trafficking survivors. “I make it my mission to strengthen our department’s partnerships with federal, state, and local agencies to reduce human trafficking in our city. More importantly, we know that partnering with the essential wrap-around service providers in the area, strengthens our ability to protect victims of human trafficking and provide important support that is needed to recover.”
Encouraging normal community members to be courageous and report what they see, Rohnert Park DPS Detective Kopshever said, “As a parent and as a Detective, I truly believe human trafficking offenses are some of the most egregious acts perpetrated against children. Our Investigations Unit takes human exploitation cases very seriously and relies on our community to be an active partner in reducing this crime in our area through information sharing.” It is not uncommon for law enforcement agencies across Sonoma County (both the local police departments and Sheriff’s office) to work with state and federal entities annually to investigate human trafficking cases. Information sharing, as Kopshever illustrated, whether it be from agency-to-agency, or from tips received from community members, often lead to human trafficking arrests.
When asked about what she believes is the most important thing community members can do to reduce human trafficking victimization in society, Liza Diaz (human trafficking survivor advocate and Redemption House of the North Bay co-founder) said, "Be a part of the solution and join our fight to combat human trafficking. Get educated on human exploitation signs and red flags. Increase your awareness and speak up when you suspect it is happening. We need the community's involvement to fight this epidemic. We cannot do it alone." As a survivor herself, Liza’s words of wisdom provide a clear “call to action” for us all. If you see something, say something. And for the betterment of our communities within Sonoma County, please join us at the Human Trafficking Awareness Fair.
