Jan 28, 2026 Commission for Women and Girls - Revised

[00:01:28]

[00:05:16]

SAM CHAIR MET LINKER.

CAN YOU HEAR ME EVERYTHING? YES.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.

I JUST WANTED TO DO A QUICK TEST AND I'M ABLE TO SEE YOU AS WELL.

WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.

OKAY, COOL.

THANK YOU.

[00:15:19]

[00:15:19]

HELLO EVERYONE.

UM, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT.

I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT STARTING ON TIME.

WE ARE WAITING FOR ONE COMMISSIONER SO WE CAN HAVE QUORUM.

SO WE, YOU KNOW, JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.

WE'LL BEGIN SHORTLY.

I,

[00:22:10]

GOOD EVENING.

UM,

[CALL TO ORDER]

MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE TIME.

THE TIME IS 6 37.

THANK YOU.

UH, MADAM CLERK,

[ROLL CALL]

COMMISSIONER ALLEN HARPER.

HERE.

COMMISSIONER KEL? HERE.

COMMISSIONER DONATO SAP.

HERE.

COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ.

HERE.

COMMISSIONER LA VIOLETTE.

HERE.

COMMISSIONER MOSQUERA HERE.

VICE CHAIR ARCHULETA.

AND CHAIR MELLINGER.

HERE WE HAVE QUORUM.

THANK YOU.

UM, CHAIR MELLINGER IS PARTICIPATING REMOTELY.

UM, AND FOR THE RECORD, UM, COMMISSIONER ARCHULETA IS EXCUSED FOR THE MEETING.

DID I DO THAT? CORRECT? IF CHAIRMAN LINGERER CAN GO AHEAD AND MAKE HER STATEMENT PLEASE.

UM, YES, PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 4 9 5 3 8 3 C, I HAVE JUST CAUSED CIRCUMSTANCES AUTHORIZING MY REMOTE PARTICIPATION IN THIS PUBLIC MEETING.

I HAVE A NEED RELATED TO A CONTAGIOUS ILLNESS THAT PREVENTS ME FROM ATTENDING THIS MEETING IN PERSON.

THANK YOU.

UH, THIS MEETING WILL FOLLOW THE REQUIREMENTS UNDER SECTION 5 4 9 5 3 0.8 OF THE BROWN ACT, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED, LIMITED TO PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO ATTEND AND ADDRESS THIS BODY VIA A CALL-IN OPTION, AN INTERNET-BASED SERVICE OPTION, AND IN-PERSON AT THIS MEETING AS REFERENCED WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON THE AGENDA.

OKAY.

UM, OKAY, ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? SEEING NONE, WE'LL MOVE ON.

UM, SO WELCOME EVERYONE.

THANKS.

THANKS AGAIN FOR, FOR JOINING US AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.

UM, REALLY GLAD TO BE RECONVENING WITH MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS AS WE KICK OFF THE NEW YEAR.

UM, BECAUSE OUR CHAIR IS NOT WITH US IN PERSON, I AM CHAIRING ON HER BEHALF AS SHE, UH, SAFELY PARTICIPATES FROM A DISTANCE.

UM, WE DO HAVE A FULL AGENDA TONIGHT, UH, WITH SEVERAL IMPORTANT ITEMS THAT WILL MOVE OUR WORK FORWARD, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S TIME AND PREPARATION AS WE MOVE THROUGH IT.

UM, BEFORE WE BEGIN, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT EFFECTIVE JANUARY 22ND, COMMISSIONER SOPHIA CHI RESIGNED FROM THE COMMISSION.

WHILE WE WILL CERTAINLY MISS HER, UM, WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR HER MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTIONS

[00:25:01]

UM, ALSO AS A REMINDER, UM, AS A REMINDER, OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS DURING PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS LISTED ON THE AGENDA SHOULD BE RELATED TO THE AGENDA ITEM, TOPIC AND NON AGENDA.

PUBLIC COMMENT SHOULD BE ON TOPICS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE COMMISSION FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS, THE BODY CANNOT ENGAGE IN DIALOGUE OR TAKE ACTION ON ITEMS RAISED DURING NON AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENT.

PLEASE NOTE THAT TIME STANDARDS CAN BE MODIFIED BASED ON NUMBER OF PUBLIC COMMENTERS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIR.

SO, WITH THAT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE INTO OUR AGENDA AND TO ENSURE THE INCLUSION OF ALL MEETING PARTICIPANTS, I WILL PERIODICALLY REMIND COMMISSIONERS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO PROJECT YOUR VOICE WHEN MAKING COMMENTS OR ASKING QUESTIONS.

MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE FIRST ITEM.

ITEM NUMBER ONE IS A

[1. 26-54141 Recommendation to approve the minutes for the Commission for Women and Girls meeting of Monday, December 8, 2025.       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]

MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO HEAR THIS ITEM? SO MOVED.

SECONDED.

SO IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COMMISSIONER LUS LA VIOLETTE AND COMMISSIONER ATA MOSQUERA MOSQUERA.

SORRY.

THANK YOU.

I HAD OR ON MY MIND.

APOLOGIES.

, UH, COMMERS, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR ABOUT, OR ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? WE WILL NOW TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT.

IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN PERSON THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM NUMBER ONE, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME.

AND IF THERE ARE ANY IN THE ZOOM, PLEASE RAISE.

PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE OR DIAL STAR NINE IF CALLING IN FOR ITEM NUMBER ONE.

SEEING NONE, BOTH IN PERSON AND IN THE ZOOM.

THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER ONE.

MADAM CLERK PLEASE.

OR THERE, OH, EXCUSE ME.

ARE THERE ANY VIRTUAL COMMENTERS? OH, YOU SAID, YOU ALREADY SAID YES.

THERE WERE NONE.

THERE WERE NONE.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

SO, MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE VOTE COMMISSIONER.

COMMISSIONER ALLEN HARPER.

YES.

COMMISSIONER ANL? YES.

COMMISSIONER DONATO.

SAP? YES.

COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ? YES.

COMMISSIONER LA VIOLETTE? YES.

COMMISSIONER MOSQUEDA? YES.

AND CHAIR MELLINGER? YES.

MOTION IS CARRIED.

THANK YOU.

UM, PLEASE READ THE NEXT ITEM.

ITEM NUMBER

[2. 26-54146 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation from the National Association of Commissions for Women on its purpose, priorities, and membership.       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]

UM, SO TONIGHT WE ARE JOINED BY NANCY BURAU, BOARD MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COMMISSIONS FOR WOMEN.

MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND FOR THIS ITEM MOVE.

SO MOVE SECOND.

IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY, UH, COMMISSIONER LA VIOLETTE AND SECONDED BY, UM, COMMISSIONER ELLEN HARPER.

MAY WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION? OH, HELLO.

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, WE CAN.

THANK YOU, NANCY.

EXCELLENT.

I DON'T BELIEVE I'M ON SCREEN, BUT THAT'S OKAY.

AS LONG AS YOU CAN HEAR ME.

UM, SO MY NAME IS NANCY BEMO AND I AM ON THE BOARD OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COMMISSIONS FOR WOMEN.

AND I'M ALSO A COMMISSION MEMBER FROM SANTA CLARA COUNTY, WHICH I'M SURE YOU ALL KNOW.

WE ARE THE HEART OF SILICON VALLEY.

I HAVE BEEN AN APPOINTED MEMBER OF MY COMMISSION FOR ABOUT SEVEN YEARS.

I'M HERE TONIGHT TO WELCOME THE CITY OF LONG BEACH COMMISSION FOR WOMEN INTO OUR COMMUNITY OF COMMISSIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

WE ARE THRILLED TO HAVE YOU, YOU'RE ONE OF THE NEWEST COMMISSIONS IN THE COUNTRY.

I ACTUALLY FOLLOWED THE WORK OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AS THE ADVOCATES WE'RE WORKING WITH YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO, TO OFFICIALLY CREATE YOUR COMMISSION.

SO IT IS REALLY A PLEASURE TO HAVE A NEW COMMISSION JOIN US, UM, AT THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COMMISSIONS FOR WOMEN.

WE ACTUALLY HELD A QUARTERLY, UH, MEETING TODAY, AND I DON'T BELIEVE, I DON'T THINK THINK WE HAD ANY MEMBERS OF YOUR COMMISSION JOIN US.

UH, BUT CERTAINLY WE HOPE IN THE FUTURE YOU WILL.

YOU ARE ALL INVITED TO JOIN OUR PROGRAMS, EVENTS, ET CETERA.

I'M GONNA TELL YOU SOME MORE ABOUT THE NACW, BUT BEFORE I DO, UM, I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE RELEVANT TO SHARE SOME OF THE REMARKS FROM TODAY'S MEETING,

[00:30:01]

SO WITH THAT, I'M JUST GONNA SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT WE, UM, WHAT WE DISCUSSED TODAY.

SO FIRST OF ALL, UM, DURING THE MEETING WITH THE NACW, WE HAD ATTENDEES AND COMMISSIONERS JOINING US FROM ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

WE HAD COMMISSIONERS FROM ALASKA, MINNESOTA, NEW YORK, DC, FLORIDA, TEXAS, CALIFORNIA, ARIZONA, HAWAII, AND MANY, MANY OTHER STATES.

WE WERE ALSO JOINED BY MANY WHO SERVE AS ADMINISTRATORS, STAFF, OR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS OF OUR COMMISSIONS.

AND AS COMMISSIONERS, WE ALL HAVE A SHARED HISTORY THAT CAN BE TRACED BACK TO THE EARLY 1960S AND THE BEGINNING OF THE WOMEN'S COMMISSION MOVEMENT, WHICH STARTED WITH THE CREATION OF THE PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN BY PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY, WHO APPOINTED ELEANOR ROOSEVELT, ONE OF THIS COUNTRY'S AND THE WORLD'S FOREMOST WOMEN'S RIGHTS ACTIVISTS AND A RENOWNED HUMANITARIAN AS THE CHAIR OF THAT VERY FIRST PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION.

AND THAT COMMISSION IN TURN, CAN BE TRACED BACK TO THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN AT THE UNITED NATIONS, WHICH WAS CREATED IN 1946 IN THE FIRST YEAR AFTER THE UNITED NATIONS ITSELF WAS ESTABLISHED.

IT'S NOW BEEN 80 YEARS SINCE THE GROUNDBREAKING UN COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN WAS ESTABLISHED TO PROMOTE, REPORT ON AND MONITOR ISSUES RELATED TO THE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, CIVIL, SOCIAL, AND EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS OF WOMEN.

ITS PRIMARY PURPOSE THEN, AS IT IS NOW, IS TO DOCUMENT THE REALITY OF WOMEN'S LIVES GLOBALLY AND SET STANDARDS TO ELIMINATE DISCRIMINATION WITH THE CREATION OF THE UN CSW.

IN 1946, A NEW ERA OF WOMEN'S RIGHTS WAS USHERED INTO ONTO THE WORLD STAGE.

WE ALL CARRY THAT MISSION AND PURPOSE FORWARD AS APPOINTED MEMBERS OF OUR LOCAL COMMISSIONS MODELED AFTER AND CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF THE U-N-C-S-W.

YOUR COMMISSION MAY BE AT THE CITY AND YOUR CASE COUNTY OR STATE LEVEL, BUT TOGETHER WE REPRESENT MILLIONS OF WOMEN ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.

WITH THAT COMES A RESPONSIBILITY, OUR COMMISSIONS WERE CREATED TO ADVISE ON POLICY AND PROVIDE GUIDANCE OVER LOCAL LAWS AND THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY OUR PUBLIC JURISDICTIONS.

DURING OUR MEETING TODAY, OUR GUEST SPEAKERS WERE, WAS AN ORGANIZATION CALLED THE US WOMEN'S CAUCUS.

UM, THERE'S, THEY CAME AND PRESENTED TO US ON THE PROGRAMS, UH, RESOURCES AND VARIOUS, UH, POLICIES THAT THEY WORK DIRECTLY ON AT BOTH THE GLOBAL LEVEL AND AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.

UH, HERE WITHIN THE UNITED STATES.

THEY SHARED RESOURCES THAT ALL OF US ON OUR LOCAL COMMISSIONS CAN USE, INCLUDING POL UH, POLICY BRIEFS, UM, THAT ARE BASED ON EVERYTHING FROM AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE, PAID FAMILY LEAVE, WOMEN'S HEALTHCARE, PUBLIC SAFETY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, CRIMINAL JUSTICE FOR SURVIVORS OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES, AND MUCH MORE.

THESE ARE RESOURCES THAT WE BRING TO OUR LOCAL COMMISSIONS, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I'M HERE TONIGHT TO INVITE ALL OF YOU TO ENGAGE WITH THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COMMISSIONS FOR WOMEN.

WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER, AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL SHARE RESOURCES SO THAT WE CAN AVOID TRYING TO RECREATE THE WHEEL.

YOU'LL FIND THAT MANY OF THE PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS THAT YOU MAY WORK ON IN THE FUTURE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKED ON IN GREAT DETAIL BY COMMISSIONS ALL OVER OUR STATE AND THE COUNTRY.

I AM HERE TO OFFER MYSELF AS A RESOURCE AND THE SILICON VALLEY OR SANTA CLARA COUNTY COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN, AS WELL AS THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COMMISSIONS FOR WOMEN AT THE NACW.

WE HAVE BEEN AROUND ABOUT 50 YEARS OVER THE YEARS.

A LOT OF OUR FOCUS HAS BEEN ON HOLDING ONE ANNUAL MEETING, WHICH TYPICALLY IS IN THE SUMMER AND IS HELD IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION IN THE COUNTRY.

LAST SUMMER, IT WAS IN OKLAHOMA CITY.

THE YEAR BE BEFORE THAT IT WAS IN BOSTON.

BUT ACTUALLY, UM, OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS, THE NACW HAS BEEN DOING A, A SORT OF A RELAUNCH OF SORTS AND A REPOSITIONING.

WE'RE MOVING AWAY FROM THE IN-PERSON EVENTS AND MORE TOWARDS A YEAR ROUND VIRTUAL PLATFORM WHERE WE WILL OFFER MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE WITH COMMISSIONS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.

UH, WE ARE PLANNING VARIOUS SESSIONS ON BEST PRACTICES, TRAINING POLICY WORK, ET CETERA.

WE HAVE OUR QUARTERLY CONVERSATION FORUMS, LIKE THE ONE I JUST DESCRIBED TO YOU.

AND, UM, WE ALSO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTERS.

[00:35:01]

UH, WE DID JUST RELAUNCH THAT WEB, THAT WEBSITE, SO IT'S STILL A LITTLE FRESH.

IT'LL BE, UH, POPULATED WITH MORE DETAILS AND INFORMATION SHORTLY.

UM, BUT THAT IS THE PRIMARY REASON I AM HERE AND I WILL COME BACK TO JOIN YOU AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.

UM, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, THERE ARE OVER 30 COMMISSIONS FOR WOMEN ACROSS THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

I WORK WITH MOST OF THEM AND I'M HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO SHARE, UM, THE KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION THAT I HAVE FROM WORKING WITH ALL OF THOSE.

SO WITH THAT, I'LL UM, FINISH MY PRESENTATION AND JUST ASK IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS AND IF I CAN BE OF ANY HELP OR SERVICE.

THANK YOU NANCY.

UM, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PRESENTATION? UH, COMMISSIONER LA VIOL, I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN GET, UM, YOUR NAME AGAIN AND YOUR PHONE NUMBER AS WELL.

ABSOLUTELY.

AND I REALLY ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU, ANYONE WHO'D LIKE TO REACH OUT TO ME.

SO, UM, MY NAME IS NANCY AND THE LAST NAME IS BRAMO WITH A B AS IN BOY, REM AS IN MARY, EAU.

AND MY EMAIL IS SUPER SIMPLE.

IT'S MY FIRST NAME@MYLASTNAME.NET.

MY PHONE NUMBER IS (650) 787-1320.

AND I'LL JUST ADD THAT, UM, THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY COMMISSION IS, WE JUST CELEBRATED OUR 53RD YEAR.

SO WE'VE BEEN AROUND, UH, GOING ON 54 YEARS.

WE HAD A HUGE 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION THREE YEARS AGO THAT I CHAIRED.

UM, AND WE'VE DONE A LOT OF REALLY IMPRESSIVE POLICY WORK AND I WOULD LOVE TO SHARE THAT WITH, WITH ANYONE WHO'S INTERESTED.

SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

ANYONE, ANYONE ELSE? UM, OH, COMMISSIONER MELLINGER.

THANK YOU NANCY, THANK YOU FOR AGREEING TO PRESENT TO US TODAY.

WE'RE EXCITED TO, YOU KNOW, JOIN YOUR RANKS.

AND, UM, ONE OF MY QUESTIONS WAS IN ADDITION TO YOUR QUARTERLY FORUMS, UM, AND OTHER MEETING OPPORTUNITIES YOU HAVE, DO YOU HAVE, UH, DOES YOUR ASSOCIATION HAVE ANY LIKE, EXISTING MATERIALS, UM, AVAILABLE DIGITALLY THAT MIGHT HELP N NEWER COMMISSIONS? UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF RESOURCES THAT I CAN SHARE SINCE WE JUST RELAUNCHED OUR WEBSITE.

WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THEM THERE.

UM, BUT IF I, IF WE WERE TO CONNECT, I'D BE HAPPY TO PULL SOME RESOURCES TOGETHER OR WHATEVER QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.

UM, I, I DO WORK AS I, AS I MENTIONED WITH A LOT OF COMMISSIONS.

I'VE BEEN MENTORING AND COACHING COMMISSIONS AND CHAIRS AND NEW COMMISSIONERS AND REALLY HAPPY TO HELP, HELP WITH THAT IN ANY WAY.

UH, JUMP ON A PHONE CALL OR, UM, PULL TOGETHER SOME RESOURCES THAT MIGHT HELP.

THANK YOU.

WE'D APPRECIATE IT.

I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WE WERE EXCITED TO JOIN IS TO, UM, LEARN FROM OTHER COMMISSIONS AND LEARN FROM THE ASSOCIATION.

SO WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THAT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, NANCY, ACTUALLY I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION.

UM, I QUICKLY CHECKED YOUR SITE AND I NOTICED THAT, UM, IT SAID THAT IT OFFERED PROFESSIONAL SKILLS, UM, TO HELP THEM.

LIKE YOU, YOU HELP WOMEN DEVELOP SOME PROFESSIONAL SKILLS BUT DIDN'T SAY WHAT KIND OF SKILLS.

I WAS JUST WONDERING, RIGHT.

WHAT DOES THAT OFFER? UM, PRIMARILY WHAT THAT'S REFERRING TO IS WHEN WE HOLD OUR VARIOUS EVENTS OR ANNUAL CONFERENCE, IS WE WILL ALL OFTEN DRAW FROM OUR, UH, COMMISSION, COMMISSION COMMISSIONS, SORRY, UH, WHETHER THEY'RE PAID OR UNPAID COMMISSIONS, BUT, AND IN VARIOUS AREAS OF EXPERTISE OR, UM, HAVE THEM COME AND, UM, AND YOU KNOW, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO PUBLIC SPEAKING, UH, LEAD VARIOUS SESSIONS.

UH, BUT THAT IS REALLY THE EXTENT OF IT AT THIS POINT.

BUT WE CAN PROVIDE, UM, REALLY IT'S MORE SORT OF MENTORING BETWEEN FOLKS LIKE MYSELF WHO'VE BEEN ON COMMISSIONS FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND KIND OF LEARNED THE ROPES AND ARE WILLING AND ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, SHARE THAT KNOWLEDGE.

SO, YOU KNOW, I'D LOVE TO CONNECT AND SEE WHAT AREAS THAT WE CAN HELP WITH AND WE WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO DO

[00:40:01]

THANK YOU.

WHAT ELSE? UM, WE WILL NOW TAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN PERSON THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE A PUBLIC COMMENT.

FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM, SEEING NONE IN PERSON IF THERE ARE ANY IN THE ZOOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT.

FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE NOW OR DIAL STAR NINE IF CALLING IN SEEING NONE IN THE ZOOM, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT, BOTH IN PERSON AND IN THE ZOOM.

FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO.

UM, COMMISSIONER, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? NO.

OKAY.

MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE.

COMMISSIONER ALLEN HARPER.

YES.

COMMISSIONER AN YES.

COMMISSIONER DONATO SACK? YES.

COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ? YES.

COMMISSIONER LA VIOLETTE? YES.

COMMISSIONER MOSQUERA? YES.

CHAIR MELLINGER? YES.

MOTION IS CARRIED.

THANK YOU.

AND SO JANUARY IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION AWARENESS MONTH.

UH, THIS OBSERVANCE BEGAN IN 2010 TO SHINE A LIGHT ON AN ISSUE THAT OFTEN REMAINS HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT AND ELEVATE PREVENTION, EDUCATION AND SURVIVOR CENTERED RESPONSES.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING AFFECTS PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, GENDERS, AND BACKGROUNDS.

AND LOCAL AWARENESS AND COORDINATED ACTION REMAINS CRITICAL TO ADDRESSING IT.

AND I FEEL LIKE ITEM NUMBER, I'LL GO AHEAD AND READ THE ITEM.

YES, I'M SORRY, .

NO WORRIES.

YOU READ THE NEXT ITEM?

[3. 26-54147 Recommendation to receive and file a Human Trafficking 101 Training from the Long Beach Human Trafficking Taskforce.       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]

ITEM NUMBER THREE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A HUMAN TRAFFICKING 1 0 1 TRAINING FROM THE LONG BEACH HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE.

MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND FOR THIS ITEM? SO MOVED.

SECOND.

IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COMMISSIONER LA VIOLETTE AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER ELLEN HARPER.

MAY WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION? GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

THE LONG BEACH HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE IS HONORED TO JOIN YOU THIS EVENING.

AND THANKS.

THE LONG BEACH COMMISSION ON WOMEN AND GIRLS, UH, FOR BRINGING US TOGETHER TO WA RAISE THE AWARENESS ON THE ISSUE OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AS WE ARE, UH, IN THE MONTH OF THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH.

AND FOR THOSE WHO WE MET LAST YEAR, NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

MY NAME'S PAMELA SEPULVEDA AND I AM ON THE CORE TEAM WITH THE LONG BEACH HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE.

UM, AND SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 2012, OUR TASK FORCE HAS UNITED LAW ENFORCEMENT, LOCAL SERVICE PROVIDERS, EDUCATORS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, ADVOCATES IN THE SHARED MISSION, UH, TO PREVENT HUMAN TRAFFICKING, TO PREVENT HUMAN TRAFFICKING, SUPPORT SURVIVORS, TRAIN PROFESSIONALS, AND EMPOWER YOUTH.

FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, THIS COLLABORATION HAS STRENGTHENED LONG BEACH'S CAPACITY TO PROTECT THE VULNERABLE AND BUILD A COMMUNITY ROOTED IN SAFETY AND IN DIGNITY.

TODAY WE ARE UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP WITH COVENANT HOUSE A, UM, LOS ANGELES COUNTY BASED SHELTER.

AS OUR LEAD ORGANIZATION, WE ARE DEVELOPING A FORWARD LOOKING AGENDA, ONE THAT ANTICIPATES THAT OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES, UM, ARE BEFORE.

DO I NEED TO STOP TALKING? 'CAUSE YOU'RE LOOKING AT ME.

NOTED.

DOES IT WORK THOUGH? THERE WE GO.

THRILLING.

GO AHEAD AND READ THOSE THINGS AS I SPEAK IF YOU'D LIKE.

IF YOU CAN MULTITASK, I INVITE YOU.

ALRIGHT.

SO, UM, WE ARE ANTICIPATING THIS FORWARD LEAKING THINKING, UH, FORWARD LOOKING STRATEGY AS WE HAVE SOME MAJOR GLOBAL EVENTS BEFORE US IN OUR AREA WITH THE WORLD CUP, THE SUPER BOWL, AND THE OLYMPICS COMING TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, THESE EVENTS ARE NOT ONLY GOING TO BE BRINGING US VISIBILITY, UH, THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO BRING VI UH, VITALITY TO OUR REGION.

THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO INTENSIFY THE RISK FOR EXPLOITATION.

AS WE DISCUSSED LAST YEAR, OUR RESPONSES NEED TO BE PROACTIVE, INFORMED, AND ABOVE ALL COLLECTIVE.

WE ARE BEYOND EXCITED THAT WE RECEIVED A VERY WARM WELCOME BY THIS COMMISSION LAST YEAR,

[00:45:01]

AND WE ARE ALSO EXCITED THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD NOW WITH THE GRADUATE STUDENTS AT CAL STATE LONG BEACH, WHO ARE IN THE MASTER'S SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM, ONE OF WHICH IS HERE WITH US THIS EVENING.

ELIZABETH RIVAS.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GRADUATE STUDENTS AT THE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK AND WITH THE COMMISSION, WE ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING TO PRODUCE A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT THAT LOOKS AT THE STATE OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.

AND THIS REPORT AIMS TO SHINE LIGHT ON THE SCOPE OF THE CRISIS, AMPLIFY THE SURVIVOR VOICES, AND EQUIP THE POLICYMAKERS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE TO DRIVE A MEANINGFUL REFORM.

WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE STAGE, I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU'RE UP TO DATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THIS REPORT.

UH, THE TOOL IS BEING DEVELOPED RIGHT NOW, AND IT WILL BE DISPERSED IN FEBRUARY, AND COLLECTIONS WILL HAPPEN FEBRUARY, MARCH, BEGINNING OF APRIL.

THEY WILL START CRUNCHING THE DATA MID-APRIL, WE SHOULD HAVE A REPORT.

AND SO THAT IS THE TIMELINE WE'RE LOOKING AT.

I AM CURRENTLY THE TASK FORCE CORPS MEMBER WHO IS WORKING DIRECTLY WITH THE, UH, THE SOCIAL WORKERS.

UH, IT'S A TEAM OF I BELIEVE, FIVE.

UH, AND WE ARE WORKING REALLY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE TOOL THAT IS DETAILED ENOUGH, BUT NOT TOO CON, NOT TOO CUMBERSOME, SO THAT WE CAN GET THAT GOOD PICTURE OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN LONG BEACH.

WE ARE EXCITED TO SHARE THAT TOOL AND THAT REPORT WITH THE COMMISSION SO THAT YOU CAN CONTINUE IN PARTNERSHIP IN ADVOCATING IN THE APPROPRIATE SPACES FOR THE AWARENESS, THE PREVENTION, AND THE INTERVENTION OF THIS ISSUE.

I'M NOW GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MARIANNE SYLVESTER.

GOOD EVENING AGAIN.

NICE TO SEE THOSE I'VE MET BEFORE AND NICE TO MEET THE ONES THAT I HAVEN'T MET BEFORE.

UM, THIS IS A PIVOTAL MOMENT FOR LONG BEACH.

AS PAMELA WAS SAYING, WE'RE STANDING AT A TURNING POINT IN SHAPING THE CITY'S RESPONSE TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING.

LAST AUGUST UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF COUNCILWOMAN TO NUA THRASH TOOK OF, OF DISTRICT EIGHT AND COUNCILWOMAN JONI RICKS OTI FROM DISTRICT NINE, THE CITY RELEASED A MEMORANDUM THAT ADDRESSES THE ISSUE OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN LONG BEACH WITH A RECOMMENDATION FOR ACTION PLAN AND NEXT STEPS.

THAT LEADERSHIP WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO ELEVATE THIS ISSUE TO THE CITY COUNCIL, AND IT REALLY CREATED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO STEP INTO THAT PLATFORM AND NOW TAKE THE ACTION THAT'S REQUIRED.

IN OCTOBER, THE COUNCILWOMEN ALSO HOSTED A, A HUMAN TRAFFICKING SUMMIT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TASK FORCE WHERE THIS WORK BEGAN IN EARNEST LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, SURVIVORS CANDIDLY SHARED THEIR RESPECTIVE EXPERTISE AND THEIR UNIQUE INSIGHTS.

THE STRATEGIES AND COMMITMENTS THAT WERE FORGED THAT DAY WILL HELP GUIDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR CITY'S FORMAL STRATEGIC PLAN AND TRANSLATE VISION INTO CONCRETE ACTION.

I'D HOPE SOME OF YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND THAT SUMMIT.

I KNOW THAT WE HAVE AKUA BROWN FROM THAT OFFICE HERE TODAY, AND WE WELCOME AND APPRECIATE HER SUPPORT AND THE CONTINUED SUPPORT OF DISTRICTS EIGHT AND NINE.

IN FACT, AT THE INVITATION OF THOSE DISTRICTS, THE TASK FORCE WILL BE PRESENTING TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON FEBRUARY 3RD, AND WE WILL BE PRESENTING OUR OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD.

AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE THIS COMMISSION'S CONTINUED SUPPORT AS WE MAKE THAT PRESENTATION TO CITY COUNCIL AND MOVING FORWARD TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE YOUR SUPPORT AND CAN LOOK TO YOU WHATEVER NECESSARY, UH, TO BE ANOTHER VOICE AND TO HAVE THE KEEN INTEREST AND EXPERTISE AND YOUR HEART IS IN THIS MISSION ALONG WITH US.

SO TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE LONG BEACH A MODEL CITY IN THE FIGHT AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING.

SO WE THANK YOUR CON THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED INTEREST IN THIS ISSUE AND CONTINUING TO HIGHLIGHT IT AND RAISE IT, UH, TO THE LEVEL THAT IT NEEDS TO BE RAISED.

WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE APRIL CASILLAS, WHO IS ONE OF OUR SURVIVOR ADVOCATES ON THE TASK FORCE, AND APRIL IS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE AS A S SURVIVOR ADVOCATE.

SHE HAS SPOKEN MANY TIMES ABOUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND, UH, SHE'LL BE MAKING OUR PRESENTATION ON BEHALF OF THE TASK FORCE TONIGHT FOR THE HT 1 0 1 AWARENESS.

GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.

I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU ALL THIS EVENING ON THE TOPIC OF EXPLOITATION AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING.

AND BEFORE WE GO INTO HOW TO IDENTIFY, RESPOND, AND PROVIDE A CALL TO ACTION, I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN BY SHARING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT MYSELF.

I GREW UP AS A VERY OUTGOING, IMAGINATIVE LITTLE GIRL WHO LOVED BEING OUTSIDE.

I WAS A CHILD WHO MADE FRIENDS EASILY.

[00:50:01]

I'M THE OLDEST, UM, OF FIVE CHILDREN.

I TOOK ON MANY MOTHERLY RESPONSIBILITIES, CARING FOR MY TWO YOUNGER SISTERS WITH A SENSE OF PRIDE AND PURPOSE.

MY DREAM BACK THEN WAS SIMPLE AND BEAUTIFUL.

I WANTED TO BE A PEDIATRICIAN SO THAT I COULD HELP CHILDREN WHEN I GREW UP.

WHAT I NEVER IMAGINED WAS HOW DIFFERENT MY CHILDHOOD WOULD, MY CHILDHOOD WOULD BECOME.

INSTEAD OF SAFETY AND SUPPORT, I ENDURED SEVERE PHYSICAL, VERBAL AND EMOTIONAL ABUSE FROM MY MOTHER.

AT THE AGE OF THREE YEARS OLD, I EXPERIENCED SEXUAL ABUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND IT REQUIRED, IT WAS SO SEVERE THAT IT REQUIRED A RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY.

BY AGE FIVE, I WAS INTRODUCED TO A MAN WHO WOULD BE, WHO WOULD LATER BECOME MY TRAFFICKER.

AT AGE, AT AGE SIX, I WAS GROOMED THROUGH THE EXPOSURE OF PORNOGRAPHY.

AND FOR YEARS, UNTIL AGE OF NINE, MY BODY WAS USED AND EXPLOITED.

EVENTUALLY, LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERVENED.

THEY BECAME MY PROTECTORS THAT I DESPERATELY NEEDED, AND THEIR INVOLVEMENT MARKED THE BEGINNING OF MY ESCAPE FROM THE WORLD OF EXPLOITATION AND TRAFFICKING.

BUT AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, THE RECOVERY, THE RECOVERY OF A TRAFFICKING VICTIM IS ONLY THE FIRST STEP.

THE TRAUMA DIDN'T DISAPPEAR AND HEALING, UM, HAS BEEN A LONG ONGOING JOURNEY.

ONE, I'M STILL WALKING, UM, TODAY WITH COURAGE AND INTENTION.

13 YEARS AGO, I EXITED THE COMMERCIAL SEX TRADE AND MY STORY DOESN'T END IN THE DARKNESS.

TODAY I STAND AS A WIFE.

UM, MY HUSBAND COULDN'T BE HERE BECAUSE HE'S CURRENTLY WITH ANOTHER SURVIVOR.

UM, I'M ALSO A MOTHER AND I'M INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL AND HONORED THAT MY SON NATHAN WAS ABLE TO ATTEND WITH ME TONIGHT.

AND A WOMAN WHO HAS RECLAIMED HER VOICE, UM, THROUGH COMMUNITY AND CONNECTION TOGETHER, WE RUN A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT SERVES VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING, UH, FUELED BY A DEEP PASSION FOR RESTORATIVE JUSTICE FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS.

AND I'M INCREDIBLY HONORED TO BE HERE SPEAKING, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE LONG BEACH HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE, UM, I HAVE ALSO EARNED MY BACHELOR'S, UM, DEGREE WITH THE EMPHASIS IN WOMEN IN JUSTICE AND ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING, SOMETHING THAT MY YOUNGER SELF COULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED POSSIBLE.

AND THE INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE MY EDUCATION THIS YEAR BY, IN PURSUIT OF A MASTER'S DEGREE IN LEADERSHIP STUDIES WITH AN EMPHASIS, UH, ON WOMEN I JUSTICE AND ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING.

IF I COULD SHARE ANYTHING WITH MY YOUNGER SELF, IT WOULD BE THAT MY LIFE IS PROOF THAT TRAFFICKING AND TRAUMA DOES NOT GET THE FINAL SAY.

RESTORATION IS REAL, PURPOSE IS REAL, AND I WOULD GROW UP WITH THE AMBITIONS OF BEING BOTH A PROTECTOR AND A NURTURER.

DETERMINE THAT EVERY SURVIVOR DESERVES THE CHANCE TO STEP INTO A FUTURE, NOT DEFINE, DEFINE, NOT BY WHAT HA WAS DONE, BUT THE STRENGTH, UM, THEY CARRY FORWARD.

I WILL ALSO HAVE THE, I'VE DONE A LOT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, UH, RIGHT HERE WITHIN MY OWN COMMUNITY.

AND I FEEL THAT THAT IS PROBABLY THE, THE TRUEST CALLING OF MY HEART, THAT I DIDN'T NEED TO TRAVEL FAR.

I COULD DO SOMETHING RIGHT IN MY RIGHT IN MY LOCAL COMMUNITY.

VERY IMPORTANT TO ME AND SURROUND.

AND I DO A LOT IN SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES, BUT I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THINGS AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.

AND I'VE BEEN INVITED THIS YEAR TO ACTUALLY ATTEND, UM, THE UNITED NATIONS ON THE STATUS OF COMMISSION IN WOMEN AND GIRLS IN MANHATTAN, NEW YORK IN EARLY MARCH.

AND MY FOCUS WILL BE ON RESTORATIVE JUSTICE.

UM, SOMETHING THAT IS SO DEAR TO MY HEART, TO ADVOCATE FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS WHO HAVE BEEN CRIMINALIZED FOR CRIMES THAT HAVE BEEN COMMITTED AGAINST THEM THROUGH EXPLOITATION AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING.

SO IT MAKES MY HEART VERY HAPPY THAT WE ARE MOVING IN A GOOD DIRECTION.

WE ARE MOVING IN A BETTER DIRECTION, UM, ADVOCATING FOR, UM, VULNERABILITY VULNERABILITIES, ESPECIALLY AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS WHO ARE, UM, INADVERTENT, INADVERTENTLY VERY VULNERABLE TO EXPLOITATION AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING.

UH, THE UNITED STATES LEGALLY DEFINES HUMAN TRAFFICKING AS A CRIME INVOLVING EXPLOITATION OF A PERSON FOR LABOR SERVICES OR COMMERCIAL SEX.

WHAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS, IS A FORM

[00:55:01]

IT INVOLVES SEX TRAFFICKING AND LABOR TRAFFICKING ACROSS, UH, MANY INDUSTRIES.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS NOT ALWAYS KIDNAPPING.

TRAFFICKERS OFTEN USE MANIPULATION, DECEPTION, AND A VICTIM'S VULNERABILITIES TO EXPLOIT THROUGH POWER AND CONTROL.

MY TRAFFICKING EXPERIENCE, UM, INCLUDED FAMILIAL TRAFFICKING.

UM, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LEARNING MORE AND MORE ABOUT IT AFFECTS ABOUT 40% OF, UH, VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING.

OR ANOTHER FORM, UH, THAT IS VERY COMMON IS A BOYFRIEND OR ROMEO, SOME, SOMEONE THAT A PER, THAT A VICTIM KNOWS, NOT USUALLY TRAFFICKED BY SOMEONE THAT THEY DON'T KNOW.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS ALSO A VERY SERIOUS VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS THAT CAN AFFECT ANYONE REGARDLESS OF AGE, BACKGROUND, OR LOCATION.

AND WE KNOW FROM THE FEDERAL DEFINITION THAT ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 18, UH, WHO IS EXPLOITED EITHER FOR FORCED LABOR OR COMMERCIAL SEX, IS A VICTIM OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING.

AT THE, ON THE GLOBAL SCALE, VICTIMS INCLUDE US CITIZENS AND FOREIGN NATIONALS, ADULTS AND MINORS, ACROSS ALL GENDERS AND BACKGROUNDS.

THERE ARE CURRENTLY 27 MILLION, UM, ESTIMATED VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING THAT INCLUDE MEN, WOMEN, GIRLS, AND BOYS.

UH, 58% OF VICTIMS ARE TRAFFICKED WITHIN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES.

AND, UM, ONLINE EXPLOITATION IS THE FASTEST GROWING, UM, FASTEST GROWING FORM OF EXPLOITATION, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR YOUTH WHO ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE, UM, HUMAN TRAFFICKING LOCALLY, IT'S, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE SCOPE AND THE WARNING SIGNS.

UM, COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITIES IS ESSENTIAL FOR PREVENTION AND PROTECTION.

THAT'S ONE OF THE AREAS THAT, UM, MY SON AND I ARE FOCUSING ON PRIMARILY HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, GOING INTO OUR HIGH SCHOOLS AND SPEAKING TO THE YOUTH ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT ONLY PROTECTING THEMSELVES, BUT HOW THEY CAN ADVOCATE AND BE PROTECTORS FOR THEIR PEERS, WHICH PEER-TO-PEER MENTORSHIP IS, IS INCREDIBLY IMPACTFUL, ESPECIALLY FOR, FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING TO FILL THOSE EMOTIONAL NEEDS, RIGHT? THAT THOSE SENSE, THAT SENSE OF BELONGING OR THE SENSE OF PURPOSE OR KNOWING THAT THERE, THERE, THERE IS SOMETHING INNATE IN ALL OF US, A PURPOSE THAT WE HAVE BEYOND JUST OUR INFLUENCES OR, OR OUR, UM, OUR UPBRINGING.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT AGE, THE AVERAGE AGE OF ENTRY INTO THE COMMERCIAL SEX TRADE IS AGE 12.

SO I I ALSO FULLY BELIEVE THAT EVEN REACHING KIDS AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL, UM, IS, IS SO IMPORTANT IN THE WORK THAT WE DO, SO THAT WE CAN START THAT PREVENTION, UH, INFORMATION AWARENESS AND EDUCATION.

EARLY ROMEO AND BOYFRIEND IS ALSO A VERY POPULAR FORM OF EXPLOITATION BECAUSE IT'S RELATIONAL.

AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON DESIRES.

THAT'S REALLY, THAT'S REALLY MY PASSION IN THE WORK THAT I DO, IS TO MEET PEOPLE ON, ON THAT RELATIONAL LEVEL OF MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY'RE AT, BUT ALSO BEING WILLING TO JUST GET, TO JUST GET TO KNOW PEOPLE.

BECAUSE TRAFFICKERS HAVE, UM, UNFORTUNATELY BECAME VERY SKILLED, UM, AT BEING RELATIONAL, BUT WITH THE WORST INTENTIONS OF USING THOSE VULNERABILITIES TO EXPLOIT AND TAKE ADVANTAGE.

ROMEO BOYFRIEND MEANS MAN MANIPULATION THROUGH PROMISES OF A LOVE JOB OR STABILITY.

UH, THERE'S ALSO RECRUITMENT, WHICH MEANS ONLINE, WHICH IS HAPPENS, OCCUR, OCCURS ONLINE VIA SOCIAL MEDIA, GAMING PLATFORMS AND DATING APPS.

AND THEN DISRUPTING THE DEMAND IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT I HOPE, AND I'VE, I'VE GOTTEN FEEDBACK AND, AND THE SUPPORT OF LONG BEACH, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT, THAT THEY'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON HOLDING SEX BUYERS AND TRAFFICKERS MORE ACCOUNTABLE.

UM, BECAUSE HUMAN TRAFFICKING AFFECTS ABOUT 99% OF, UM, WOMEN, AND 99% OF THE BUYERS ARE NORMALLY, UM, MEN.

I'VE ALSO PUT THE NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOTLINE STATISTICS, UM, IN CALIFORNIA ON THIS SLIDE SO THAT WE CAN, UH, REFER BACK TO IT, UH, AT THE STATE LEVEL.

SOME RED FLAGS IN HOW TO REPORT WHAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING LOOKS LIKE.

IT COULD BE SOMEONE THAT APPEARS FEARFUL, ANXIOUS, SUBMISSIVE OR HYPERVIGILANT.

PEOPLE RARELY

[01:00:01]

ONLINE JOB OFFERS THAT SEEM TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.

SHOWS SUDDEN CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR, CLOTHING OR POSSESSIONS.

TALKS ABOUT A BOYFRIEND, MANAGER OR BOSS WHO IS OVERLY CONTROLLING.

AND ANOTHER RED FLAG COULD BE A YOUNG PERSON COMMUNI COMMUNICATING WITH MUCH OLDER ADULTS.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT FORMS OF RED FLAGS THAT CAN INCLUDE, I MEAN, BEHAVIORAL CHANGES THAT COULD INCLUDE SITUATIONAL CHANGES.

UM, IT COULD BE MOVING TO A NEW PLACE OR, YOU KNOW, A A PARENT NOT ACTIVE AS ACTIVE IN THE, IN THE HOME, OR IT, IT COULD BE BIG CHANGES, EVEN EVEN AT SCHOOL WITH PEERS.

UH, SOME RED FLAGS COULD ALSO INCLUDE PHYSICAL CHANGES, A ABOUT A CHILD OR YOUNG PERSON.

UH, RED FLAGS CAN INCLUDE ONLINE, UH, ONLINE BULLYING AND HARASSMENT, AND THEN ALSO ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES.

I I DO HAVE TWO OTHER RESOURCES.

ONE THAT IS, UM, IS FROM MILLION KIDS.

IT'S KEEPING KIDS SAFE, UH, FROM PREDATORS.

AND IT'S JUST A, A SIMPLE FORM THAT GOES OVER IDENTIFYING SIGNS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND HOW TO REPORT IT.

UH, IT'S, IT'S A VERY GOOD, JUST TANGIBLE RESOURCE TO HAVE.

AND THEN ANOTHER ONE IS CALLED YOUR ITTY BITTY AMAZING , UM, YOUR AMAZING ITTY BITTY KEEP YOUR CHILDREN SAFE BOOK.

AND IT WAS CREATED BY, UH, AN INVESTIGATOR WHO HAS DONE A LOT OF WORK WITH, UH, YOUNG CHILDREN AND, AND FAMILIES.

AND THERE'S JUST TWO TANGIBLE RESOURCES THAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE, YOU KNOW, ANYONE FROM PARENTS OR COUNSELORS OR EDUCATORS OR ANYONE WITH A YOUNG PERSON, YOU KNOW, IN OUR LIVES TO JUST BE, UH, BE MORE PREPARED ON HOW WE CAN, HOW WE CAN BRING ABOUT CHANGE.

BUT, BUT ALSO, UM, JUST BEING INVOLVED IN OUR YOUNG PEOPLE'S LIVES BECAUSE THINGS ARE CHANGING SO QUICKLY AND SO MUCH GOING ON ONLINE.

AND IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO KEEP UP, UM, THE OLDER WE GET AND THE INFLUENCES THAT OUR, OUR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE ARE FACING.

SOME PRACTICAL, UM, SAFE WAYS TO RESPOND.

THERE'S AN APP THAT IS CALLED SIM SIMPLY REPORT, AND IT'S, IT'S A GREAT, UH, TANGIBLE THING THAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON CAN PUT ON THEIR CELL PHONE.

OFTENTIMES, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE BEEN OUT IN THE COMMUNITY BEFORE AND I'VE SEEN A SITUATION WHERE I KNEW IN MY GUT THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT AND SOMETHING WAS NOT OKAY.

BUT THERE WAS A TIME BEFORE I GOT IN ANTI-TRAFFICKING WORK THAT I, I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO REPORT IT.

I, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO DO, BUT I, I KNEW IT WAS WRONG.

THIS IS A, A SIMPLE, PRACTICAL TOOL THAT WAS CREATED BY SURVIVORS AND PSYCHOLOGISTS, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND HEALTHCARE EXPERTS.

AND IT IS, UH, A TANGIBLE WAY FOR A REPORT TO GO DIRECTLY TO, UM, THE LOCAL TASK FORCE.

SO I HAVE BEEN OUT IN THE COMMUNITY ACTUALLY PRETTY RECENTLY, WHERE, UM, I SAW A SITUATION TAKE PLACE.

UM, WHEN YOU GO INTO THE APP, THEY HAVE IT LAID OUT PRE, UH, PRETTY EASILY WHERE YOU CAN REPORT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT YOU SAW, UH, WHERE YOU WERE AT, CROSS SECTIONS, YOU KNOW, CITY AND THE STATE.

AND THEN THAT REPORT WILL GO TO THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES OR LAW, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT OR TASK FORCE IN THAT AREA.

UH, IT, THE APP SIMPLY REPORT IS VERY EFFICIENT.

IT'S DESIGNED TO CLOSE GAPS, UM, IN THE EXISTING HOTLINE.

AND IT'S ALSO MEANT TO BE RESPONSIVE FOR, UM, DIRECT REPORTING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS.

AND IT ALSO CREATES COMMUNITY RESILIENCE.

IT'S DESIGNED FOR A SCALABILITY AND A WAY FOR THAT COMMUNITY CAN RECOGNIZE AND ALSO RESPOND AND REPORT HUMAN TRAFFICKING.

I'VE ALSO INCLUDED THE NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOTLINE NUMBER.

IT IS A 24 7 HOTLINE NUMBER AVAILABLE IN 206 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.

IT'S A VERY EASY NUMBER TO, UH, TO MEMORIZE.

IT'S 8 8 8 3 7 3 7 8 8 8.

AND THERE'S ALSO THE NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING B FREE TEXT LINE, WHICH IS 2 3 3 7 3 3.

AND THIS IS, THIS IS A NUMBER THAT IS IDENTIFIED AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, IT MORE TANGIBLY GIVEN TO, UH, VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS.

AND, UM, JUST, JUST A WAY THAT THEY CAN GET HELP AT ANY TIME AND, AND BE CONNECTED WITH, UH, RESOURCES AND, UH, SUPPORT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO, UH, THERESA GOMEZ.

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

YES, I WANNA THANK APRIL FOR SHARING HER

[01:05:01]

WE ALWAYS LIKE TO GIVE OUR SURVIVORS, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THE STORY, TO REALLY BRING THE ISSUE TO LIFE, TO REALLY EMPHASIZE THE URGENCY FOR AWARENESS, PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION ON THESE, THIS ISSUE.

UM, I AM TERESA GOMEZ.

I'M THE HUMAN DIGNITY PROGRAM MANAGER, AND I AM THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ON THE TASK FORCE.

I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR INVITING US BACK.

WE, SINCE WE CAME TO YOU A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO, A LOT HAS BEEN HAPPENING THANKS TO YOUR SUPPORT ALSO THAT THERE'S BEEN MOVEMENT, THERE'S BEEN MORE COOPERATION, AND THE ISSUE HAS BEEN ELEVATED.

SO WE WANNA THANK YOU FOR THAT.

WE DO WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS A CALL TO ACTION, AND THIS CALL TO ACTION WILL, WE NEVER LIKE TO LEAVE A PRESENTATION WITHOUT A CALL TO ACTION, BECAUSE THERE WE NEED TO HAVE A SENSE OF URGENCY.

A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T SEE THIS, THE ACTUAL TRAFFICKING SOMETIMES HAPPENING ONLY IN CERTAIN AREAS, BUT THERE IS A CERTAIN, UH, THERE IS A SENSE OF URGENCY THAT HAS TO HAPPEN BECAUSE AWARENESS IS KEEN.

IF YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT, YOU DON'T SEE IT.

ONCE YOU LEARN ABOUT WHAT TRAFFICKING LOOKS LIKE, THEN YOU CAN SEE IT, YOU WILL SEE IT.

AND I SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE.

UM, UP HERE YOU HAVE THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE LONG BEACH HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE.

WE MEET ONCE A MONTH, THE SECOND WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH FROM 1130 TO 1:00 PM YOU CAN ALSO LISTEN IN ON WEBINARS ENDING TRAFFICKING.

WE HAVE ONE OF THE STRONGEST, UM, SURVIVOR ADVOCATE AGENCY GEMS UNCOVERED IN LONG BEACH THAT YOU CAN VOLUNTEER WITH IF YOU LIKE.

BUT YOU CAN ALSO JUST GET 'EM ON OUR WEBSITE, GET ON OUR MAILING LIST, AND LET US KNOW IF YOU WANNA BE INVOLVED IN OTHER WAYS.

AND THAT'S ALL WE HAVE FOR YOU TONIGHT.

THANK YOU.

UM, JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR, FOR JOINING US TODAY PRESENTING AND, AND APRIL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR STORY.

VERY, UM, IMPACTFUL.

UM, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PRESENTATION? I WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND FOR YOUR, UM, PRESENCE HERE WITH US TODAY.

UM, I WANTED TO GO BACK TO THE TOOL THAT'S BEING DEVELOPED, AND I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT'S BEING MEASURED THROUGH THE TOOL.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION.

THE TOOL IS AIMED TO LOOK AT COLLECTING THE DATA FROM THE DIFFERENT NONPROFITS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, SCHOOLS, TO MEASURE INCIDENT RATES AND UNDERSTANDING LIKE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

BECAUSE WHAT WE FOUND AND WE PRESENTED TO THE COMMISSION LAST YEAR WAS THAT THE INFORMATION WE RECEIVED FROM LONG BEACH PD DIDN'T NECESSARILY ALIGN WITH SOME OF THE NONPROFIT INFORMATION WE HAD, UM, FROM ONE ORGANIZATION.

AND SO WE, AS A TASK FORCE SAID, WE HAVE A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE.

LET'S DEVELOP A TOOL THAT IS NOT TOO DEEP, BUT JUST LOOKS AT WHAT'S INCIDENT RATE LOOK LIKE AMONG THESE DIFFERENT NONPROFITS.

DO DO WE HAVE A GOOD MEASURE AS TO WHAT FOLKS ARE SEEING IN THEIR ORGANIZATIONS SO THAT WE CAN BUILD CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE ORGANIZATIONS TO SAY, YOU KNOW, IS THERE A TREND HERE? UM, WHERE ARE THE GAPS AND WHAT ARE WE MISSING? BECAUSE THAT HAS NOT BEEN DONE YET.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

UM, I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.

ONE, UM, FOR APRIL, I'M WONDERING WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT FAMILIAL, FAMILIAL, UH, VIOLENCE, IF YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, IF YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT TRAFFICKING WITHIN THE FAMILY OR THAT THE FAMILY IS TRAFFICKING, I WASN'T REALLY CLEAR ON THAT.

YEAH, THAT, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

UM, THE, WHEN I TALKED ABOUT, UM, FAMILIAL TRAFFICKING, THAT WOULD INCLUDE, UH, EXPLOITATION OF A PERSON WITHIN THEIR OWN FAMILY.

SO IT WOULD BE TRAFFICKING BY A FAMILY MEMBER.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

AND ALSO, I WANTED TO ASK FOR YOU, AND WHAT DOES RESTORATIVE JUSTICE LOOK LIKE, UH, FOR YOU? YEAH.

UM, HERE IN LONG BEACH, RESTORATIVE JUSTICE LOOKS LIKE DIRECT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LONG BEACH PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, AS WELL AS THE LONG BEACH, UM, PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE.

AND THE OPPORTUNITY THAT I HAVE IS, UH, THE CITY IS MAKING GREAT, UM, GROWTH AND, AND LIKE IMPROVEMENT ON DECRIMINALIZING VICTIMS, OR ACKNOWLEDGING THAT MOST VICTIMS OF HUMAN

[01:10:01]

UM, SO ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THAT IS A VICTIM OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING OR EXPLOITATION AT ONE POINT, OFFERING DIVERSION SERVICES.

AND THEN, UM, WHEN THERE'S LIKE SUCCESSFUL DIVERSION, UH, WE DO A 24 WEEK PROGRAM, UM, 24 WEEK PROGRAM THAT, UM, INCLUDES ENDING THE GAME.

IT'S A RESILIENCE EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAM.

AND, UM, UPON COMPLETION, THE INDIVIDUAL CAN HAVE THOSE CHARGES DISMISSED AND, AND THE CASE DROPPED, WHICH THEN, UM, TAKES AWAY THAT BARRIER SO THAT THAT INDIVIDUAL CAN CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.

BUT OFTEN, YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES WHAT WE'RE DOING IS JUST BRINGING COMMUNITY AND CONNECTION AROUND THE INDIVIDUAL WITH THE HOPE THAT, UM, AFTER DIVERSION SERVICES, THERE CAN BE ONGOING CASE MANAGEMENT AND, UM, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, AND THEN LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO SEE HERE IN LONG BEACH, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M HOPING TO TAKE, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO DO AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL AND ALSO TAKE THAT TO THE UNITED NATIONS AND SPEAK ABOUT THAT ON THE GLOBAL LEVEL, THE, UM, IMPACT AND THE BEAUTY THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE IN OFFERING DIVERSION SERVICES FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS WHO HAVE BEEN CRIMINALIZED OR HAVE OFTEN JUST BEEN OVERLOOKED BY THEIR COMMUNITIES.

BUT WE HAVE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY, WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO POUR INTO WOMEN AND GIVE OPPORTUNITIES SO THAT THERE CAN BE, UM, THRIVING AND SUSTAINABILITY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE AND YOUR PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

THANK YOU.

YEAH.

UH, COMMISSIONER , JUST A QUICK FOLLOW UP QUESTION ON THAT.

UM, BASED ON YOUR EXPERIENCE, EVERYONE WHO'S IN THE WORK, DO WE SEE A GAP BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT, UM, NEED THE SERVICES AND THE AMOUNT OF DIVERSION SERVICES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AVAILABLE? UM, THAT'S, THIS IS A VERY GOOD QUESTION.

I, I WOULD SAY LONG BEACH IS DOING AN INCREDIBLE JOB WITH THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.

YOU HAVE GEMS UNCOVERED, UM, WHO, WHO DOES DIVERSION SERVICES, AS WELL AS, UM, THERE'S JOURNEY OUT AND RESTORATION DIVERSION SERVICES.

SO I THINK THERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE DOING THIS WORK AND WE, WE CAN MAKE AN EVEN GREATER IMPACT WITH THE MORE COMMUNITY SUPPORT THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE.

THANK YOU.

HI, MY QUESTION IS FOR MS. ALDA.

SO, WHICH NONPROFITS, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE NONPROFITS AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVE SIGNIFICANT GAPS, WHICH NONPROFITS HAVE SIGNIFICANT GAPS FROM THE DATA WE'RE RECEIVING FROM OUR OWN POLICE DEPARTMENT? UH, WELL, IT WAS, WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THE DATA LAST YEAR, PROVIDED BY JIMS UNCOVERED, AND WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE DATA THAT THEY HAD JUST ON THEIR SURVIVORSHIP AND THEIR INTERVENTIONS, AND THEN WE LOOKED AT THE DATA THAT WAS PROVIDED BY LONG BEACH PD, THOSE DATA NUMBERS WERE REALLY DIFFERENT.