Combating one of the most depraved crimes
Roseville, Calif. – Joining district attorneys’ offices from across the state, the Placer County District Attorney’s Office announced their support for legislation that will increase penalties on human trafficking cases.
Senate Bill 1042, introduced by California state senator Shannon Grove, will amend current law to add human trafficking to the list of serious and violent crimes that make the crime eligible to be treated as a ‘strike’ offense.
“Human trafficking is one of the most depraved crimes the state, nation and world has had to combat.”
Morgan Gire, Placer District Attorney
“The value of human life is worth fighting for and we need every tool at our disposal to fight trafficking at every level. This bill is a strong step towards returning dignity to survivors, holding traffickers more accountable, and ending the suffering of those affected by human trafficking,” said Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire.
Tolls of Human Trafficking
There are an estimated 40 million people globally in the last decade that have been forced into human trafficking, a crime that is considered the modern-day form of slavery. It is one of the world’s fastest-growing and most lucrative crimes, generating approximately $150 billion around the world each year.
In 2012, California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 35, which increased penalties for human trafficking, with 81% of the vote. It was the most successful propositions in California history. Even with that vote, human trafficking is still considered a non-serious and non-violent crime in California, which makes human traffickers ineligible for prosecution under the three-strikes law.
According to the Office of the California Attorney General, California is one of the largest sites of human trafficking in the United States, with thousands of cases reported annually. The Los Angeles-based Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking recently reported an 185 percent increase of California-based human trafficking cases in recent years.
SB 1042 has been scheduled to be heard in the California Senate Public Safety Committee. Residents can read the bill language here.