OAKLAND
California Assemblymember Mia Bonta, D-Oakland, recently joined Gov. Gavin Newsom to celebrate the signing of AB 2020, the Human Trafficking Survivors Act. The bill, which goes into effect Jan. 1, requires law enforcement agencies to establish policies for their interactions with human trafficking survivors.
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“Survivors of human trafficking need support, not systemic barriers. This bill was born from the ongoing conversations I’ve had with organizations supporting survivors of sex trafficking, law enforcement organizations and those working in the justice system,” said Bonta. “Sadly, the first time many survivors of trafficking first engage with the government, they are seen as offenders of prostitution or other crimes. Establishing proper protocols for law enforcement interactions with survivors will allow California to combat human trafficking while centering the needs of survivors and advancing trauma-informed justice practices.”
Human trafficking is a persistent issue nationally. In 2021, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received 51,073 contacts about human trafficking and issues related to it across the United States. For California, the hotline received 5,257 contacts. Of those contacts, 1,334 human trafficking cases were identified with 2,122 victims involved in those cases.
Law enforcement commonly treats human trafficking victims as perpetrators of crime. According to a 2023 National Survivor Study, 62% of survivors reported being cited, detained or arrested by law enforcement. This usually happened during their trafficking situation. Most of those surveyed indicated that all or at least some of their criminal record was related to their trafficking victimization.
“AB 2020 is a commonsense, smart solution that advances the health, safety, and well-being of victims of human trafficking,” said Natasha Minsker, Policy Advisor for Smart Justice California. “We thank Assemblymember Bonta for her unwavering commitment to ensuring that law enforcement agencies’ interactions with victims who are seeking safety are trauma-informed and based on best practices.”
— Assemblymember Bonta’s office
PIEDMONT
Register by Oct. 18 for exhibits at Adult Recreation Expo
The Piedmont Recreation Department is seeking local organizations, activity groups or classes that offer recreational, educational or social programs for adults to showcase their offerings at Piedmont’s first Adult Recreation Expo. The expo will take place from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 17 at the Piedmont Veterans Memorial Building. The deadline for exhibit registration is Oct. 18.
The expo is meant to bring together the myriad adult recreational activities available in Piedmont under a single roof, letting community members explore, compare and ask questions of organizers. Local organizations are encouraged to join the Piedmont Recreation Department, Piedmont Adult School, Piedmont Center for the Arts and Piedmont League of Women Voters in showcasing their programs at the event.
Groups interested in exhibiting should email AdultRecreationExpo@piedmont.ca.gov to sign up. There is no cost to participate; expo organizers will provide a table and chairs; and exhibitors will be responsible for providing displays or materials to distribute.
Exhibitors should plan to have two representatives present at their table for the full event, and organizers request that exhibitors announce the event to their members. For more details online, visit piedmont.ca.gov/AdultExpo.
— city of Piedmont
EAST BAY
Former Congressmember addresses East Bay Republican Club
Former U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, spoke recently to a joint meeting of the East Bay Republican Club, the Alameda County GOP and the Berkeley College Republicans on UC Berkeley’s Clark Kerr Campus.
Chaffetz spoke of his experience as chair of the Oversight Committee in the House of Representatives. He described his investigation into waste and fraud in defense contracting in Afghanistan, estimated at 70%, and surmised similar waste in Ukraine today. He explored the failure to protect U.S. embassy employees murdered in Benghazi and what he called official efforts to cover up those failures.
Chaffetz also described his investigation into claimed Secret Service dysfunction during his time in office and the failure to correct these problems to date. Finally, he explained his current research into the illegal border crossing of thousands of individuals whose criminal record is known to Border Patrol agents.
— Jeanne Solnordal
OAKLAND
Japanese sister city group to host Moon Viewing Festival
Free and open to the public, the Oakland Fukuoka Sister City Association (OFSCA) will present is 55th annual Moon Viewing Festival from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday in Oakland’s Lakeside Park Garden Center at 666 Bellevue Ave.
A bonsai garden open house will take place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Also planned are Diablo Taiko-Japanese drums and performances by the student delegates of the Asian Pacific Children’s Convention and Las Lomas High School.
Japanese Bento box dinners will be available on a prepaid basis for $22. To purchase one, send a check by Oct. 1 to OFSCA, P.O. Box 13022, Oakland CA 94661-3022 or pay online at tinyurl.com/2024-OFSCA-bento-order.
— OFSCA
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