Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has announced her Human Trafficking Advisory Council, which will combine multiple city and county agencies to combat the problem.  

“Oakland will not stand by while humans, and in many cases, children, are trafficked and exploited,” said Thao in a statement released from her office on Wednesday.  

The mayor’s council will include the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, the Oakland Police Department, the Oakland Department of Violence Prevention, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department and several advocacy groups.  

According to Thao, law enforcement will “take action” investigating criminal networks that traffic in people, while anti-trafficking advocates will work on preventative measures. Overall, the mayor said the council will address prevention, intervention and enforcement strategies.  

Thao said that so far this year, police in Oakland have worked with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to close 26 investigations. Fourteen minors were rescued from being trafficked, 27 people were arrested for solicitation, 14 people were arrested on suspicion of human trafficking, and “multiple” firearms were recovered.  

The Oakland Human Trafficking Advisory Council also includes City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas, District 7 City Council Member Treva Reid, S.H.A.D.E. (Survivors Healing Advising and Dedicated to Empowerment), Dream Youth Clinic, East Bay Asian Youth Center, Bay Area Women Against Rape, Covenant House, National Center for Youth Law and the Oakland Unified School District. 

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.