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GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.[Special City Council Meeting]
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.SPEAKERS, WHEN YOU COME UP, YOU NEED TO BE CLOSE TO THE MIC, OTHERWISE, I'LL GET HOLLERED AT.
UM, WE DO APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
UH, THANKFULLY, CRIME IS NOT RAMPANT HERE IN MEADOW'S PLACE.
SO WHEN WE SEE IT IN OUR CITY, WE GET A LITTLE UPSET AND SOMETIMES A LITTLE AFRAID.
IT'S, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT'S A CRIME, IS HEINOUS, IS KIDNAPPING OR HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
THAT'S WHY THE CITY OF MEADOWS PLACE DECIDED TO HOST A DISCUSSION FOCUSED ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
AND ASK, UH, FORT BEND COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY BRIAN MIDDLETON, TO HEAD THIS DISCUSSION.
MR. MIDDLETON WAS THE PROSECUTOR FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW HERE IN MEADOWS PLACE FOR YEARS, AND DID A GREAT JOB FOR US, AND WE WERE GRATEFUL AND HAD HATED TO SEE HIM GO.
HOWEVER, WE FOUND A PRETTY GOOD REPLACEMENT.
UM, BUT HE QUICKLY AGREED TO COME AND VISIT WITH US AND SHARE THE MANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THIS AREA THAT'S TAKEN PLACE SINCE HE TOOK OFFICE.
THIS HAS BEEN A, UH, FOCUS PROJECT FOR, UH, THE DA'S OFFICE, AND WE'RE GONNA HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT TONIGHT.
UH, WE'RE ALSO GONNA LEARN WHAT WE AS NEIGHBORS CAN DO TO HELP STEM THE TIDE TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING, KIDNAPPING, AND INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE.
UM, RICK AND I WERE TALKING, COUNCILMAN STALEY AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A EARLIER, AND IT IS SIGNIFICANT, AND IT IS RUNNING RAMPANT IN PARTS OF THE CITY, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN PARTICULAR, WHICH IS ONE OF THE WORST AREAS IN THE WORLD FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
BUT BEFORE I TURN THIS OVER TO BRIAN, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL NIGHT OUT TEXAS, RIGHT HERE IN MEADOWS PLACE ON OCTOBER 3RD.
IT'S DESIGNED TO HELP NEIGHBORS GET TO KNOW NEIGHBORS AND GET TO KNOW THEIR COMMUNITY, AND GET TO KNOW THEIR CITY COUNCIL AND THE POLICE OFFICERS IN PARTICULAR.
SO PLEASE PARTICIPATE IN OUR, UH, NATIONAL NIGHT OUT PROGRAM, MORE ON THAT, UH, IN A WEEK OR TWO.
AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING AND, AND WATCHING ONLINE.
AND BRIAN, I'M GONNA TURN THIS OVER TO YOU.
ONE OF US KNOWS WHAT WE'RE DOING IS NOT OKAY.
UH, FIRST THING I GOTTA SAY IS THAT Y'ALL MOVED ON UP WHEN I WAS HERE.
SO I WALKED IN AND I WAS LIKE, WOW, OKAY.
UH, UH, AS THE MAYOR SAID, I I, I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT MY RESUME TO TELL YOU HOW MANY YEARS I WAS HERE.
IT WAS A LONG TIME, UH, AS YOUR PROSECUTOR.
AND, UH, WHEN I WAS RUNNING FOR OFFICE, I HAD A DISCUSSION AND, AND I'M SURE THE, THE MAYOR'S HEARD ME SAY THIS PUBLICLY, BUT, UM, I HAD HAD A DISCUSSION WITH MAYOR JESSOP WHEN I WAS RUNNING.
HE SAID, IF YOU GET ELECTED, I WANT YOU TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
AND SO HE WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE, AND HE INTRODUCED ME TO SOME FAITH LEADERS WHO WERE PRESSING, UH, FOR ME, IF ELECTED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
SO, UM, WITH THAT CHARGE, WHEN I WAS ELECTED, I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO WORK ON IT.
AND WE HAD OUR FIRST OPERATION, OPERATION FREEDOM.
AND, UM, DAVE, YOU REMEMBER HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED ON THEIR FIRST OPERATION? YEAH, YEAH.
SO RIGHT OFF THE BAT, WE WERE ABLE TO, IN WHAT, THREE DAYS? THREE WEEKS, UH, UH, ARREST THESE PEOPLE.
AND, AND I GUESS THE OTHER THING YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THESE OPERATIONS, THE EXPENSIVE, THEY'RE TIME CONSUMING.
UH, IT TAKES A LOT OF PREPARATION.
UH, AND WE HAD A COLLABORATION WITH THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING RESCUE ALLIANCE, WHICH WHEN I, UH, BECAME DA, UH, LIEUTENANT DAVID HALL WAS A PART OF.
AND SO IN WORKING COLLABORATION WITH HATCHER, WE WERE ABLE TO PUT THESE, UH, OPERATIONS TOGETHER, AND WE STILL CONTINUE TO DO THESE OPERATIONS, AND I THINK WE'RE UP TO NINE AT THIS POINT.
UH, BUT WE'RE CONSTANTLY PLANNING, CONSTANTLY LOOKING, CONSTANTLY RAISING AWARENESS.
AND YOU KNOW, I I HAVE MEMBERS FROM MY OFFICE HERE TONIGHT.
I ALREADY MENTIONED LIEUTENANT DAVID HALL.
UM, HE'S OUR, UH, LEAD INVESTIGATOR FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
SO HE, UM, HAS A REMOTE OFFICE WHERE THEY PLAN AND, AND DO, UH, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, LAW ENFORCEMENT, OPERATIONS.
UH, AND, UH, SITTING NEXT TO HIM IS ASHLEY HARKNESS IS ONE OF PROSECUTORS, FELONY PROSECUTORS FROM OUR OFFICE WHO IS ALSO ASSIGNED TO, TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
UH, AND THEY HAVE A PRESENTATION THEY'RE GONNA PRESENT TO YOU TONIGHT
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THAT THIS POWERPOINT BEHIND ME.BUT WE ALSO HAVE, UH, A LADY THAT I KNOW MANY PEOPLE IN HERE KNOW RHONDA KIRKENDALL, UH, A DEAR FRIEND OF MINE AND SOMEBODY ELSE WHO I MET WHEN I WAS ELECTED, AND JUST LIKE MAYOR CAME TO ME AND ASKED ME TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
AND I WILL LET HER TELL YOU HER STORY.
UH, BUT, UH, SHE IS THE CHAIRMAN OF OUR TASK FORCE THAT WE HAVE, AND HER RESPONSIBILITY IS TO WORK WITH OUR OFFICE, BUT ALSO TO BE THE LIAISON BETWEEN US AND, AND THE COMMUNITY.
SHE GOES OUT AND SHE LOBBIES, UH, LEGISLATURE, AND SHE ALSO WORKS WITH DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES ON, UH, ORGANIZING AND AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS AND DIFFERENT ORDINANCES.
SO SHE'S VITAL TO ALL OUR OPERATIONS AND, UM, LUCKILY TO HAVE HER PART OF OUR OFFICE.
AND, AND THE BIGGEST THING IS SHE DOESN'T GET A DOLLAR FOR THE STUFF THAT SHE DOES.
SHE'S A VOLUNTEER, AND, AND HER HUSBAND SITTING NEXT TO TOMMY KIRKENDAL IS LAUGHING
I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF THAT IS, UH, UH, FRIENDLY OR NOT, BUT, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, AND AND THING ABOUT TOMMY.
TOMMY IS A FORMER MAYOR FOR THE CITY OF FUL.
SO I WAS ALSO A PROSECUTOR IN FULCHER, UH, AT THE TIME HE WAS, HE WAS MAYOR.
BUT ONE THING I WANNA SAY ABOUT MEADOW'S PLACE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW LATELY, UH, FULCHER AND SUGARLAND HAVE GOTTEN NOTORIETY FOR BEING SAFEST, UH, SAFER COMMUNITIES IN THE NATION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT MEADOWS AND YOU KNOW WHY, RIGHT? THERE'S A COP ON EVERY CORNER, YOU KNOW,
SO IT, IT'S, IT CONTINUES TO BE ONE OF THE SAFEST PLACES BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE A GREATER, STRONGER POLICE PRESENCE THAN YOU DO IN ANY OTHER COMMUNITY, UH, IN FORT BEND.
AND HAVING WORKED HERE AND SEEN THE WORK THAT THEY DO AND HOW VIGILANT THEY ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS MY JOB TO SIT HERE AND LOOK AT THESE VIDEOS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
SO I KNEW PEOPLE'S PERSONALITIES, THE TENDENCIES AND WHATNOT.
BUT YOUR OFFICES WORKED VERY HARD.
THEY'RE VERY PROUD TO WORK IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND THEY GO OUT AND, AND THEY, THEY DO ENFORCEMENT AND NOT AFRAID TO DO IT.
I MEAN, THEY, THEY WILL PUT THEMSELVES IN HARM'S WAY TO PROTECT YOU.
AND WITH PRIDE, NOW, AS THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, I GET TO SEE THE CASES WHEN THEY COME IN AS WELL.
SO YOU SHOULD FEEL SAFE, YOU SHOULD FEEL PROUD OF YOUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND KNOW THAT THEY'RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT THEY CAN.
UNFORTUNATELY, IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, WE MOST, MOST OF WHAT WE DO IS REACTIVE, RIGHT? UH, A CRIME IS OCCURRED AND WE GET DISPATCHED AND WE GO OUT AND WE DEAL WITH IT.
WELL, WHEN WE DO THESE OPERATIONS, WE'RE BEING PROACTIVE.
AND SO WE ARE TRYING TO ANTICIPATE AND TRYING TO FIND PEOPLE AND TARGET PEOPLE WHO WILL COMMIT CRIMES.
AND SO THAT'S THE PROACTIVE ASPECT OF IT.
AND I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT WE WORK WITH THE CITY OF METALS AND WE'VE DONE OPERATIONS, WE, THEM, AND IF YOU, IT'S PROBABLY STILL ON THE CITY'S, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE, BUT THERE WAS A PRESS CONFERENCE AND AN OPERATION THAT WE HAD DONE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CITY OF MEADOWS PLACE, POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE WORK VERY COLLABORATIVE, BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW, I MEAN, MEADOWS WILL ALWAYS HAVE A PLACE IN MY HEART, HAVING WORKED HERE FOR SO LONG AND HAVING SO MANY FRIENDS HERE.
BUT, UM, I'M STILL YOUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY, UM, MORE RESPONSIBILITY THAN I HAD WHEN I WAS YOUR MUNICIPAL PROSECUTOR.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, DON'T HESITATE TO REACH OUT TO ME, UH, OR MY STAFF.
SO, WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ADO, I'M GOING TO ASK ASHLEY AND LIEUTENANT HALL TO STEP UP AND MAKE THIS PRESENTATION.
SO I'M ONE OF THE, THE TWO FELONY PROSECUTORS THAT HANDLED MOST OF THE TRAFFICKING CASES.
IT'S ME AND CRAIG MEYER, MARK HANNAH IS OUR BOSS.
UM, BUT THIS IS A, A PRESENTATION THAT WE HAVE THAT KIND OF GOES OVER, UM, WHAT THE TRAFFICKING LAWS ARE, WHAT THEY'RE BASED IN, AND KIND OF EXPLAINS THEM SO YOU UNDERSTAND.
SO, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UM, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, WE CALL TRAFFICKING AN UMBRELLA OFFENSE, MEANING THAT WE HAVE TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS IS A LAW THAT WE HAVE IN OUR TEXAS PENAL CODE, BUT THAT ALSO IS GONNA INCLUDE OTHER OFFENSES LIKE PROSTITUTION, SOLICITATION OF PROSTITUTION, PROMOTION OF PROSTITUTION, COMPELLING SEXUAL PERFORMANCE OF A CHILD, AND SO ON.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER OFFENSES THAT WE SEE WITHIN THE TRAFFICKING WORLD.
UM, Y'ALL SEE THE MOVIE TAKEN, LIAM NEESON, WE ALL KNOW THAT SPEECH.
YOU'VE TAKEN MY DAUGHTER, I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
UM, AND THAT, THAT IS TRAFFICKING, THAT KIND OF INTERNATIONAL SYNDICATE THAT TAKES SOMEONE AND TAKES THEM ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UH, BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING WITHIN FORT BEND COUNTY, UM, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE SEEING.
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IS PEOPLE POSTING SEX ADS ONLINE AND THEN PEOPLE RESPONDING TO THEM.IT COULD BE HAPPENING IN HOTELS AND NOT JUST YOUR KIND OF YOUR CD HOTELS.
UM, THERE'S PLACES LIKE, UH, THE POST OAK IN HOUSTON, AND I KNOW IT HAS JUST AS MUCH TRAFFICKING AS THE SEEDIER PLACE, AS YOU'LL SEE UP AND DOWN 59.
UM, IT CAN BE HAPPENING IN MASSAGE PARLORS.
WE DID A BIG OPERATION IN 2021 AND CRACKED DOWN ON, WE DID SEARCH WARRANTS ON 10 OR 11 MASSAGE PARLORS WITHIN FORT BEND COUNTY, ALL OF FORT BEND COUNTY.
WE TRY TO HIT EVERY AREA IN FORT BEND COUNTY.
UM, AND IT'S HAPPENING INSIDE PEOPLE'S HOMES THAT YOU MAY JUST NOT SEE IT.
UM, BINET HAS ACTUALLY HAD SOME, SOME LUCK IN SHUTTING IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT, BUT THAT JUST MEANS IT'S GONNA MOVE OTHER PLACES.
UM, BINET JUST TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT, THAT'S WHAT WE CALL OPEN AIR PROSTITUTION.
IT'S GONNA BE LIKE WHAT YOU SAW IN PRETTY WOMAN, SOMEONE WALKING THE STREET AND THEY GET PICKED UP, AND WE'RE SEEING IT MOVE AWAY FROM THAT.
THAT EXISTS, BUT WE'RE SEEING IT HAPPENING ONLINE AND IN FORT BEND COUNTY.
THAT'S WHAT WE TRY TO FOCUS ON.
OKAY, SO THESE ARE, UM, SOME IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS.
IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT ANY TIME, STOP ME.
UM, SO TRAFFIC, WHAT THAT ACTUALLY MEANS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT IT, WHAT TRAFFICKING A PERSON'S IS, IS TO TRANSPORT, ENTICE, RECRUIT, HARBOR, PROVIDE OR OTHERWISE OBTAIN ANOTHER PERSON BY ANY MEANS.
SO I JUST PUT SOME KIND OF EXAMPLES.
SO MAYBE YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO'S A, A PIMP OR A TRAFFICKER, LIVES IN FORT BEND COUNTY, AND THEY HAVE SOMEONE, A VICTIM THAT'S WORKING FOR THEM, OR NOT WORKING, BUT FORCED TO DO LABOR FOR THEM.
AND THEY'RE GONNA DRIVE THEM UP TO HARRIS COUNTY TO BISSONNET, AND THEN BRING THEM BACK AND FORTH.
THAT'S TRAFFICKING IN FORT BEND COUNTY.
UH, IN ENTICING, YOU SEE THAT ONLINE, PEOPLE GOING ON INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK SENDING OUT MESSAGES.
THAT'S JUST KIND OF HOW THEY'RE GETTING THEIR VICTIMS, UH, HARBORING GIVING THEM A PLACE TO STAY, PAYING FOR A HOTEL ROOM, UH, PROVIDE FOR MAYBE THINGS THEY NEED, THEY'RE BUYING FOR THEM.
UM, WE TALK ABOUT TRAFFICKING.
UH, 17 IS THE AGE OF CONSENT IN TEXAS, BUT FOR TRAFFICKING, WE CONSIDER A MINOR.
SO JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE 17 DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE GONNA BE TREATED LIKE AN ADULT WITHIN THE TRAFFICKING REALM.
IF YOU WERE 17 OR UNDER, WE CONSIDER YOU A MINOR, UH, UNDER THE LAW.
UM, FOR A MINOR, IT'S TRAFFICKING BY ANY MEANS.
WE DON'T HAVE TO PROVE THIS OTHER STUFF FOR ADULT, WE HAVE TO PROVE THAT IT WAS DONE.
THE TRAFFICKING WAS DONE THROUGH FORCED FRAUD AND COERCION.
IF IT'S A MINOR, IT MEANS THAT THERE ARE TRAFFICKED BY ANY MEANS.
IT COULD JUST BE YOU'RE THE PERSON THAT DRIVES A, A 14 YEAR OLD TO AND FROM SOMEWHERE.
YOU'RE GONNA BE HELD TO THE SAME STANDARD AS MAYBE THE, THE BIG TRAFFICKER WHO'S DOING SOMETHING MORE VIOLENT TO THEM.
THAT'S WHERE THE TRAFFICKING OFFENSE, IF, IF THE PIMPS ARE AT ANY WAY PROFITING OFF OF A GIRL PROSTITUTING, THEN THERE'S OFFENSE AGAINST THAT.
SHE'S TALKING ABOUT TRAFFICKING, WHICH IS THE, YOU KNOW, THE TOP TIER, UH, I GUESS PUNISHMENT PHASE FOR IT.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, EVEN IF THEY ARE, A LOT OF THESE, MOST OF THE PEOPLE WE RUN ACROSS, THEY ARE NOT BEING FORCED.
THEY ARE, THEY'RE BRAINWASHED AND THEY ARE COERCED.
AND THEY THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONLY FOR A SHORT TIME.
WE'RE GONNA GET TO SAVE UP ENOUGH MONEY.
SO HE TOLD ME WE WERE GONNA GET AN APARTMENT OR WHAT, WHATEVER THE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE.
THE GIRLS ARE KIND OF ALWAYS LOOKING TO OUR WAY OUT.
THE GUYS ARE NEVER GONNA LET 'EM OUT.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE CONTINUOUSLY, THEY'RE GONNA KEEP, KEEP MAKING THAT MONEY BECAUSE HONESTLY, THE GIRLS MAKE ABOUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS A DAY.
SOMETIMES MORE, SOMETHING A LITTLE LESS.
BUT THEY HAVE QUOTAS DAILY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
AND, UH, THESE GUYS, THEY'LL GET UBERS FOR 'EM.
UH, WE, WE DO OUR OPS AND, AND ANY, IF THEY DO, IF THEY ANTICIPATE OR IF THEY PARTICIPATE IN ANYWAY, UH, SETTING UP THE ADS, GETTING THEM RIDES, TAKING THEM TO AND FROM, OR BUYING 'EM A ROOM OR RENT 'EM A ROOM, THEN, THEN THERE'S, UH, DIFFERENT CHARGES.
THAT'S GONNA BE, I GUESS, UH, PROMOTION, PROMOTION OF PROSTITUTION.
AND THERE'S SEVERAL DIFFERENT CHARGES WE HAVE.
WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW IS, IS TRAFFICKING WHERE THEY'RE ACTUALLY FORCING THE, WHAT YOU SAY IN THE ADULTS OR PARTICIPATING IN THE MINORS DOING IT.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TRAFFICKING, THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE TO PROVE THAT THE ADULT WAS FORCED FRAUD OR COERCED, UM, TO COMMIT ONE OF THESE CRIMES.
SO JUST BASED PROSTITUTION OR PROMOTION AND SO ON.
UM, AND WITHIN THAT OFFENSE, WE HAVE THESE OTHER OFFENSE.
SO DAVID MENTIONED PROMOTION OF PROSTITUTION.
THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN TRAFFICKING.
IT TOOK ME A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO FIGURE THIS OUT.
I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO LEARN IT ALL.
I JUST WANNA EXPLAIN SOME OF IT.
SO, PROMOTION OF PROSTITUTION, LIKE DAVID SAID, YOU COULD BE THE PERSON WHO SETS UP ADS ONLINE, OR YOU'RE THE PERSON WHO ARRANGES FOR, CALL HIM A DATE OR JOHN TO COME PICK UP.
WHEN WE SAY GIRL, IT CAN BE A BOY TOO.
BUT WE TYPICALLY SEE YOUNG WOMEN, YOUNG GIRLS AS THE PRIMARY VICTIMS. UM, YOU ARRANGE FOR THE DATE OR YOU HAVE SOME KIND OF AGREEMENT.
UM, I'LL DRIVE YOU TO AND FROM THE DATE, BUT I WANT 50% OF THE CUT FOR DRIVING YOU.
YOU'RE KIND OF WITHIN THAT ONLINE PROMOTION IS WHAT IT
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SOUNDS LIKE.IT'S THE SAME THING, BUT IT'S HAPPENING ONLINE.
AGGRAVATED PROMOTION, IT'S UNLIKE OTHER AGGRAVATED OFFENSES.
AND WE TALK ABOUT AN AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, AGGRAVATED KIDNAPPING, YOU'RE THINKING OF A WEAPON, SOME KIND OF BODILY INJURY AND TRAFFICKING.
AGGRAVATED PROMOTION MEANS THAT YOU'VE DONE IT TO, UH, YOU'RE DOING IT TO MORE THAN TWO PEOPLE.
SO YOU HAVE THREE OR MORE VICTIMS WHO ARE QUOTE UNQUOTE WORKING FOR YOU.
UM, COMPELLING PROSTITUTION IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT OFFICE THAN TRAFFICKING OF, OF PERSONS, BUT IT'S ESSENTIALLY THE EXACT SAME THING.
UM, JUST THE TEXAS LEGISLATOR FINDS THESE OFFENSES SO IMPORTANT TO PROSECUTE THAT THEY'VE KIND OF CRAFTED DIFFERENT WAYS FOR US TO PROSECUTE.
AND COMPELLING IS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME THING AS TRAFFICKING.
AND THEN FOR MINORS, IT'S LIKE DAVID TALKED ABOUT, WE JUST TAKE OUT THE FORCE FRAUD AND COERCION, AND YOU MAKE A, A MINOR, A VICTIM OF ANY ONE OF THESE OFFENSES.
AND BECAUSE THEY'RE A MINOR, WE ALSO HAVE SEXUAL ASSAULT, SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A CHILD, SEXUAL, CONTINUOUS SEXUAL ABUSE AND DECENCY AND SO ON.
DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS SO FAR ON ANY OF THIS WATER
UM, THE BIG ONE THAT'S CHANGED THAT PROBABLY A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, THAT PROSTITUTION, PRIOR TO SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2021, IF YOU WERE A SEX BUYER.
SO IF YOU'RE THE PERSON GOING OUT AND BUYING SEX, IT WAS ONLY A CLASS A MISDEMEANOR IF IT WAS YOUR FIRST TIME.
SO WHEN YOU SEE THESE OPERATIONS THAT DAVID DOES, AND WE'VE ARRESTED 20 GUYS FOR BUYING SEX, ALL OF THEM ARE CHARGED WITH A STATE JAIL FELONY FOR YOUR FIRST TIME OFFENSE.
UM, IF YOU'RE THE SEX SELLER, IT'S, IT'S STILL JUST A CLASS MISDEMEANOR.
UM, AND THE OTHER INTERESTING THING ABOUT THESE OFFENSES IS THAT YOU CAN BE CHARGED WITH ALL OF 'EM.
IF YOU WERE TRAFFICKING A MINOR, IF YOU WERE FORCING A MINOR, UH, LET'S SAY YOU KEPT THEM AT YOUR HOUSE IN FORT BEND, AND THEN YOU WOULD SET UP ONLINE ADS, UM, FOR PEOPLE BUYING SEX AND TAKE 'EM TO A HOTEL IN FORT BEND COUNTY, WE COULD CHARGE YOU WITH PROMOTION OF PROSTITUTION, TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS, AND COMPELLING PROSTITUTION.
WE COULD, WE COULD GET CONVICTIONS ON ALL THREE, AND THEN WE COULD ASK A JUDGE TO STACK EACH ONE OF THOSE PUNISHMENTS.
THAT'S HOW SERIOUS THE LEGISLATURE TAKES THESE OFFENSES.
UM, BUT MOST OF THOSE ARE FELONIES.
CAN WE GO BACK ONE SECOND? CAN WE GO BACK ONE LINE? SORRY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO ON THE MOUSE.
SO I THINK, YEAH, EVERYTHING ON HERE IS A FELONY EXCEPT FOR SEX BUYERS, AND THAT'S GONNA BE A MISDEMEANOR.
UM, AND FOR NOT SEX, SEX SELLERS.
AND WE'RE REALLY TRYING FOR SEX SELLERS TO OFFER THEM RESOURCES, OFFER THEM OTHER WAYS OUT THAN A CONVICTION.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO CONVICT PEOPLE OF SELLING SEX.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE NATURE OF THIS OFFENSE IS THAT THEY'RE SOMEBODY WHO NEEDS SOME HELP.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY PUSHING SERVICES AND ALTERNATIVE WAYS.
AND IF THEY ARE A VICTIM OF ANY OF THESE CRIMES, THEN THAT'S A DEFENSE AND WE DON'T CHARGE 'EM AT ALL.
AND VERY FEW OF THESE GIRLS ARE OUT ON THEIR OWN.
I MEAN, THERE ARE SOME, BUT, BUT IF THEY ARE OUT ON THEIR OWN NOW, THEY DIDN'T GET STARTED BY BEING ON THEIR OWN.
THEY WERE, THEY WERE BROUGHT INTO IT IN A DIFFERENT LIFESTYLE, AND NOW THEY FEEL TRAPPED AND DOING.
BUT VERY FEW OF THESE GIRLS OUT THERE AT ALL ARE ON THEIR OWN.
AND THEY, THE PIMPS HAVE SEVERAL GIRLS THAT THEY'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR MORE GIRLS EVERY DAY.
THEY'RE SENDING OUT MESSAGES AND JUST TRYING TO LOOK FOR MORE GIRLS EVERY DAY.
AND SO WE REALLY FOCUS ON ONLINE, UH, HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
AND SO WE PUT THIS UP THERE BECAUSE WE TALK ABOUT THAT.
THESE ARE REALLY THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE.
IF YOU HAVE A LAPTOP, IF YOU HAVE A PHONE, A COMPUTER, IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET, ANYONE WHO HAS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY, UH, POST ADVERTISEMENTS FOR SEX OR BUY SEX, IT'S OUT THERE.
UM, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF BACKPAGE, THE F B I SHUT THAT DOWN SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
BUT ONCE YOU SHUT THAT DOWN, IT JUST GOES OUT.
THERE'S SO MANY OTHER SITES YOU CAN GO TO NOW TO FIND SEX.
YOU CAN SEE IT ON CRAIGSLIST ANYWHERE.
UM, I THINK PEOPLE EVEN DO IT ON TINDER.
BUT THESE APPS THAT WE HAVE UP HERE, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, TWITTER, SNAPCHAT, ALL OF THESE ARE ONES WE'RE SEEING IT.
WE HAVE, WE DO SEARCH WARRANTS FOR PHONES AND SOCIAL MEDIA, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM.
ONES THAT WE HAVE UP HERE, WE HAVE SEEN SOME TYPE OF TRAFFICKING OR PROMOTION OF PROSTITUTION HAPPENING.
ANYONE KNOW WHAT THAT LOCK SYMBOL IS? ONLY FANS? UH, ONLY FANS.
I DUNNO HOW, UH,
IT IS A PLACE YOU CAN GO TO POST VIDEOS OR PHOTOS AND THEN SELL THEM.
IT'S PRIMARILY USED FOR SEX VIDEOS, UM, SEX SELLING.
AND WE SEE TRAFFICKERS USE IT AS KIND OF AS A SUPPLEMENTAL INCOME.
UM, YOU'RE NOT READY FOR THE STREETS YET, BUT WHY DON'T WE TAKE SOME VIDEOS AND START SELLING THAT ON ONLY FANS? UM, AS WE START GOING THROUGH, I HAVE PULLED OUT, UM, SOME SNIPPETS OF SOCIAL MEDIA OR CLOSED CASES
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WE HAVE THAT ARE ACTUAL KIND OF, UH, PIMPS LANGUAGE OR PEOPLE WHO ARE ADVERTISED WITH SEX.SO IT'S GONNA GET A LITTLE CRUDE.
I'M JUST LETTING YOU KNOW, WE'VE PUT UP THERE THE REAL LANGUAGE THAT THEY USE.
SO YOU'RE GONNA SEE IT AND WE'RE GONNA EXPLAIN SOME OF IT ALSO ON THE FRONT SIDE, ALL OF THAT.
ALL THOSE, EVERYTHING THAT WAS ON THERE WHILE AGO, THAT SLIDE BEFORE, THAT'S HOW THEY RECRUIT THEIR VICTIMS AND WHY THEY DON'T TEXT ON PHONES TO THE VICTIM OR TO THE GIRLS.
THEY USE, UH, WHAT IS IT? INSTAGRAM, WE SO MUCH INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK.
THEY'LL MESSAGE THROUGH THOSE APPS.
SO THAT'S WHY, AND THAT'S HOW WE RE MAKE OUR, A LOT OF OUR CASES, IS THROUGH THE MESSAGES BETWEEN THEM TWO AND, UH, THAT WAY.
'CAUSE NOT ALL THE GIRLS, WHEN WE RECOVER 'EM, THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS COOPERATIVE.
A LOT OF 'EM DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THE LIFESTYLE.
THEY WANT TO BE WHERE THEY'RE AT RIGHT NOW.
NEXT MONTH IT'LL BE A DIFFERENT STORY OR, OR NEXT WEEK IT COULD BE A DIFFERENT STORY.
SO THEY'RE NOT ALL COOPERATIVE.
SO THAT DOESN'T MEAN IF THEY TELL US, NO, NO, I DON'T HAVE A PIP.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T STOP THERE.
THEIR PHONES COME WITH US, ALL THEIR STUFF COMES WITH US.
THEY MIGHT NOT, BUT THEN WE'LL DO SEARCH WARRANTS AND WE'LL START GOING THROUGH THE PHONES AND LOOKING FOR WHO SHE'S TALKING TO.
AND THAT'S HOW WE CAN BUILD OUR CASES OFF OF THAT.
A LOT OF TIMES THE, THE VICTIMS OF THESE CASES ARE VERY SIMILAR TO, WE MIGHT THINK OF VICTIMS AND FAMILY VIOLENCE THAT VICTIM MAY NOT ALWAYS BE READY TO TESTIFY AGAINST, OR EVEN PROSECUTE, OR EVEN I, THE IDEA THAT THEY'RE A VICTIM OF THE, FOR THEMSELVES.
THEY MIGHT THINK, I'M NOT A VICTIM, I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING, OR THAT HE'S NOT DOING ANYTHING TO ME.
AND WE DON'T WANNA WAIT UNTIL THEY'RE READY.
OUR WHOLE IDEA IS THAT WE'RE READY TO PROSECUTE NOW.
AND SO WE'RE BUILDING OUR CASES, LIKE DAVID SAID, WITH SEARCH WARRANTS.
UM, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE WE DID.
THIS WAS SOMEWHERE, I THINK IN STAFFORD.
WE FOUND, UH, WE HAD A GIRL WHO ACTUALLY OUTCRIED, UM, ABOUT SOMEONE WHO WAS HER PIMP.
UH, THAT HE WAS PIMPING NOT ONLY HER BUT ANOTHER WOMAN.
THEY WERE STAYING AT A HOTEL, UH, UP ON 59.
WE WENT OUT THERE AND ARRESTED HIM.
UM, WHEN WE BROUGHT IN THE OTHER GIRL TO TALK TO HER, SHE DIDN'T WANNA COOPERATE.
HE'S NOT DOING ANYTHING WRONG WITH ME.
YEAH, HE, THEY ALWAYS STAY WITH THEM.
THEY SEPARATE ROOMS FROM THEMSELVES, SO TRY TO KEEP THAT DISTANCE.
BUT WE DID A SEARCH WARRANT ON HER PHONE, THIS UNCOOPERATIVE VICTIM.
AND WHAT WE FOUND, I DUNNO IF YOU CAN READ IT, BUT, UM, ON HER APPLE PAY, WE SAW WHERE MONEY WAS COMING IN FROM WHAT WE LABELED TO A JOHN OR A SEX BUYER.
AND THEN SHE WOULD TURN AROUND AND SEND THAT MONEY TO HER TRAFFICKER.
SO MONEY COMES IN FROM SOMEONE BUYING SEX, AND THEN THE MONEY GOES RIGHT TO THE TRAFFICKER.
AND WE COULD SEE THAT, 'CAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO DO THE SEARCH WARRANTS.
UM, WE SEE IT THROUGH THE CASH APP.
UH, VENMO, APPLE PAY, GOOGLE PAY, IF YOU CAN SEND MONEY, UM, IT'S BEING USED TO BUY AND SELL SEX IN SOME WAY.
YOU READ THEM
IT'S A LOT OF TWENTIES AND ONE HUNDREDS AND ONE FIFTIES.
YOU SEE FROM WHAT, FROM WHAT WE LEARNED IS THE GIRLS WILL WANT A, A, UH, UPFRONT PAYMENT BEFORE THEY COME THAT WAY THAT THEY SAY, MAKE SURE YOU'RE GONNA BE THERE.
AND WE'RE NOT WASTING OUR TIME GETTING THERE.
SO THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF THE TWENTIES ARE FOR.
AND THEN YOU SEE THE PAYMENTS OF 100, 150.
AND, UH, WHEN THE JOHNS ARE TALKING TO THESE GIRLS, 90% OF THE TIME, THEY'RE NOT TALKING TO THE GIRL AT ALL.
THEY'RE TALKING TO THE, THE, UH, PIMP.
AND HE, HE PRETENDS LIKE HE IS, AND HE SETS IT UP.
SO HE KNOWS EVERY DETAIL FAR AS MONEY WISE.
SO THE GIRLS, WHEN THEY GET PAID, THERE'S NO, OH, HE ONLY GAVE ME A HUNDRED.
ALL THEIR MONEY GOES STRAIGHT TO HIM.
EVERY PENNY THEY MAKE, THEY GET, GOES STRAIGHT TO HIM AND HE'LL DECIDE WHAT SHE EATS AND WHERE SHE STAYS AND WHERE THEY'RE GONNA BE THAT NIGHT IF SHE MAKES ENOUGH MONEY FOR HIM THAT DAY.
SO ALL THE MONEY GOES TO THE, THE PIMPS.
UM, I, WE HAVE NOT SEEN THAT CORRELATION AS FAR AS TRAFFICKING.
WE HAVE SEEN, UM, SMUGGLING CASES, AND WE HAVE THAT KIND OF AT THE END TO TALK ABOUT AS WELL.
UM, FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING, I'M NOT SURE IF WE'VE, WE'VE SEEN ANY CORRELATION IN THAT.
UM, I THINK MOST OF OUR CASES WE FOUND KIND OF LOCAL, UH, GIRLS WHO LIVE IN FORT BEND OR MAYBE HARRIS COUNTY, BRAZORIA COUNTY IN THIS GENERAL AREA.
A LOT OF STUFF YOU SEE ON TV IS JUST WHAT THAT IS.
WE DON'T SEE VERY MANY PEOPLE THAT WERE TAKEN FROM A DIFFERENT COUNTRY BROUGHT OVER HERE AND FORCED TO.
AND NOT SAYING IT DOESN'T HAPPEN RIGHT HERE WHERE WE DEAL WITH, WE DON'T SEE THAT.
[00:25:01]
YEAH, MAYBE SO.I MEAN, WE WORK A LOT IN HOUSTON.
I WORK IN HOUSTON MUCH AS I WORK IN HERE BECAUSE WE, WE WORK BACK AND FORTH.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN SOMEBODY THAT WAS TAKEN FROM A DIFFERENT COUNTRY FORCED IN, IN DOING THIS.
UM, NOT SAYING IT DOESN'T HAPPEN BY NO MEANS, BUT WE DON'T DEAL WITH THAT HERE TOO MUCH OF.
USUALLY WHEN THEY'RE, THEY'RE SMUGGLED ACROSS THAT SMUGGLING, THEY GO AND THEY PAY.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A DIFFERENT SITUATION.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRAFFICKING, WHICH IS MORE SEX TRAFFICKING AND LABOR TRAFFICKING.
RIGHT? BUT THIS ONE IS KIND OF, WE GET TO SOME LANGUAGE, UM, AND I KIND OF WANNA EXPLAIN SOME OF THE STUFF UP THERE, AND I'M NOT GONNA READ ALL OF THESE TO YOU.
UM, BUT YOU'LL SEE IN THAT, UH, TOP LEFT, IT SAYS ONLY A P, UM, A P IT MIGHT MAKE SENSE TO Y'ALL WITH A PIMP.
UM, WE ALSO SEE, I'M NOT SURE IN THE MIDDLE, WE HEAR IT'S 16.
UM, SO WE HEAR TRAFFICKERS REFER TO THEMSELF AS, I'M A P I'M A 16, UH, P FOR PIMP.
UM, BUT 16, DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT THE 16TH LETTER OF THE ALPHABET IS? IS P SO IT'S JUST CODE.
THEY'LL SAY THIS GUY IN THE MIDDLE, HE SAID, HERE, LOOKING TO APPRECIATE THAT GOOD HOE.
UM, THIS WAS A GUY, WE ACTUALLY CAUGHT HIM.
UM, NOT ONLY DOES HE REFER HIMSELF AS 16, UM, IN MESSAGES TO PEOPLE, BUT HE WAS ACTUALLY CAUGHT OUT ON, UH, BIANET, UH, HOUSTON POLICE OFFICER WHO WAS WORKING UNDERCOVER AS A SEX SELLER, WAS JUST WALKING THE STREETS TO SEE WHO WOULD TRY TO PICK HER UP.
WELL, THIS GUY ACTUALLY APPROACHED HER AND SAID, I'M A 16.
UM, AND SHE DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANT, BUT SHE SAID, HE SAID, I'M A 16.
ARE YOU A 3 0 4? SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT 3 0 4 MEANT EITHER.
UM, Y'ALL REMEMBER, REMEMBER THE OLD SCHOOL CALCULATORS? YOU COULD WRITE MESSAGES TO YOUR FRIEND OR PAGERS.
YOU WRITE 3 0 4 AND TURN IT UPSIDE DOWN.
AND SO, UH, 3 0 4, WE SEE ALL THE TIME, 3 0 4 O MM-HMM.
NOT TO SCARE YOU, NOT TO SAY THIS IS ALL THE TIME, BUT WE'VE NOTICED, WE SEE IT A LOT IN SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES.
UM, THEY'LL USE IT TO TEXT EACH OTHER, UM, IN THE SAME WAY THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE PIMPS OR TRAFFICKERS TRY TO ADVERTISE THEMSELF AS LIVING THIS BIG LIFESTYLE.
UNFORTUNATELY, SOME WOMEN, UM, OR MEN, I GUESS, WHO ARE STILL IN THIS WORLD WHERE ADVERTISE THEMSELF AS A 3 0 4 AS KIND OF A IMPRESSIVE THING ABOUT THEM.
BUT THIS IS, ALL THESE MEMES THAT WE'VE TAKEN ARE ALL FROM PEOPLE THAT WE KNOW TO BE TRAFFICKERS THAT THEY'RE POSTING UP ON THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA.
LIKE WHAT I'VE TOLD YOU, ALL THESE GIRLS, SOME OF 'EM, I MEAN, THEY DON'T WANT TO BE THERE, BUT THEY EMBRACE THE LIFESTYLE ONCE FOR A WHILE WHEN THEY'RE IN IT.
AND THEY HAVE OATHS AND THEY HAVE
I DON'T THINK THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE FORCED.
I MEAN, THEY ARE BRAINWASHED AND THEY'RE, NO GIRL WANTS TO BE THERE, DON'T CHOOSE THAT.
BUT WHEN SHE'S IN IT, THEY EMBRACE IT AS THEY'RE IN IT.
AND UNTIL THEY HIT ROCK BOTTOM.
BUT SO THEY HAVE OATHS AND THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN SLANG TOO.
WHEN THEY TALK TO PEOPLE, IT, IT'S VERY MUCH A GROOMING, LIKE YOU WERE MENTIONING.
THERE ARE THESE TRAFFICKERS AND PIMPS ARE NOT STUPID.
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO PERHAPS DOESN'T HAVE, UM, THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF MONEY.
THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT IN THEIR LIFE.
SOMEONE, SOMEBODY REACHES OUT AND SAYS SOMETHING LIKE, OH, YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL.
YOU JUST GOTTA DO THIS ONE THING FOR A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO OFF AND LIVE THIS LIFE.
BUT IT'S NEVER JUST A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.
IT TURNS INTO WHAT DAVID TALKED ABOUT IS, IS QUOTAS.
UM, YOU'RE NOT COMING HOME TONIGHT UNTIL YOU MAKE A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
UM, I'M GONNA KEEP THE DOOR LOCKED UNTIL YOU MAKE 500 TONIGHT.
AND IT JUST KIND OF ESCALATES.
UM, BUT I DON'T MEAN TO SCARE OR SUGGEST THAT ANYONE WHO HAS THIS IN THEIR PROFILE IS A PIMP OR SOMEONE WHO'S SELLING SEX.
UM, AND SO NOW I KIND OF WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, WE CAN CONTINUE ASKING QUESTIONS, BUT I DO WANNA TALK ABOUT SMUGGLING A PERSONS AND KIND OF HOW IT'S DIFFERENT.
I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, UM, ON THAT CASE.
WE'RE STILL WORKING ON IT AND WE CANNOT GET INTO THE FACTS.
IT'S STILL VERY MUCH AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION, BUT SMUGGLING A PERSONS IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN TRAFFICKING A PERSONS.
UM, I'VE GOT ALL THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN PROVE SMUGLY, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT WHICH ONE WE SEE THE MOST OFTEN.
BUT YOU USE SOME KIND OF VEHICLE, UH, TO TRANSPORT INDIVIDUAL WITH THE INTENT TO CONCEAL THEM FROM THE POLICE OR FLEE, UH, FROM A PERSON THE ACTOR KNOWS IS THE PEACE OFFICER OR SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR.
WHAT I PUT IN BOLD IS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SMUGGLING, THIS IS WHAT WE NORMALLY CHARGE.
IT IS ENCOURAGING OR INDUCING A PERSON TO ENTER OR REMAIN IN THIS COUNTRY IN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW BY CONCEALING, HARBORING, OR SHIELDING THEM FROM DETECTION.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE, UM, HOW WE SEE IT IS WE SEE THAT PEOPLE GO DOWN TO THE BORDER AND WE SEE PEOPLE CROSSING FROM THE BORDER, FROM WHATEVER COUNTRY, UM, THEY'VE ORIGINATED FROM.
THEY'LL CROSS THE BORDER, THEY GET PICKED UP, THEY'RE DRIVEN TO SOME LOCATION.
SOMETIMES IN HOUSTON, SOMETIMES IT'S SOUTH OF FORT BEND COUNTY.
[00:30:01]
THEM UP AND BRINGS THEM TO FORT BEND COUNTY.THEY MIGHT JUST BE TRAVELING THROUGH FORT BEND ON THE WAY TO ANOTHER DESTINATION.
OR LIKE WE SAW RECENTLY, THEY STOP HERE AND THEY'RE HELD HERE FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
UM, BUT IF YOU ARE ENCOURAGING SOMEONE TO REMAIN IN THE COUNTRY WHO SHOULDN'T BE HERE, UM, WHO'S NOT A CITIZEN HAS NO LEGAL RIGHT TO BE HERE, UM, THAT WOULD BE SMUGGLING.
AND THEN THERE'S A THIRD WAY YOU ASSIST OR GUIDE OR DIRECT TWO OR MORE INDIVIDUALS TO ENTER OR REMAIN ON AIR, AGRICULTURAL LAND WITHOUT THE EFFECTIVE CONSENT OF THE OWNER.
UM, THAT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING YOU'RE GONNA SEE CLOSER TO THE BORDER.
WE DON'T SEE THAT AS OFTEN HERE.
CAN I SEE YOU NEED WATER IN A MINUTE, BUT THANK YOU.
UH, THEN WE'VE GOT CONTINUOUS SMUGGLING OF PERSONS.
THIS IS IF YOU'RE DOING IT, UH, OVER A PERIOD OF 10 OR MORE DAYS.
AND THEN OPERATION OF A STASH HOUSE.
UM, I DID WANNA THROW THIS UP HERE.
THIS IS IF YOU ARE SOMEBODY WHO YOU'RE OPERATING A STASH HOUSE, YOU HAVE A HOUSE THAT YOU'RE USING OR PERMIT COMMITTING ANOTHER TO USE, UH, TO COMMIT OR FACILITATE THE COMMISSION OF HUMAN SMUGGLING.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING, AGGRAVATED PROMOTION OF PROSTITUTION OR COMPELLING PROSTITUTION, OR YOU'RE RENTING OR LEASING THAT PROPERTY.
SO THAT'S THE ONLY OFFENSE THAT REALLY TIES THEM TOGETHER.
YOU CAN BE OPERATING A STASH HOUSE.
COULD BE LIKE A BROTHEL, UM, COULD BE A STASH HOUSE OR IT COULD BE IF YOU'RE KEEPING, UM, PEOPLE THAT YOU KNOW ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE COUNTRY IN YOUR HOUSE AS WELL.
Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SMUGGLING CHARGES OR ANYTHING YOU WANNA ADD? NO, THIS IS A FELONY.
SO THE, UH, SMUGGLING OF PERSONS, JUST THE, THE ORIGINAL ONE THAT IS GONNA BE A THIRD DEGREE FELONY.
IF YOU ARE DOING IT, UM, AND YOU'RE DOING IT IN A WAY THAT CAUSES DEATH OR SERIOUS BODILY INJURY TO BE LIKELY, YOU'RE DOING IT FOR MONEY OF SOME KIND.
YOU'RE DOING IT WITH MINORS AND A COUPLE OF OTHER, THEN YOU BUMP UP TO A SECOND DEGREE IF YOU ARE DOING IT AND SOMEBODY, UM, IN WHILE YOU'RE DOING THE SMUGGLING, SOMEBODY IS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED OR SOMEBODY DIES OR IS SERIOUSLY BODILY INJURED, THEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A FIRST DEGREE.
IT WAS IN THE NEWS ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, THERE WAS SOMEBODY WHO WAS KILLED.
I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT CITY IT WAS IN NOW, BUT SOMEBODY WAS SHOT WHILE THEY WERE BEING SMUGGLED.
IT WAS RIGHT OUTSIDE A FIRE STATION IN A SCHOOL.
UM, I KNOW NOT TOO LONG AGO, THERE WAS ONE RIGHT HERE AT 59.
AND BINET SHOOTOUT WITH THE SMUGGLING.
YEAH, WE HAVE SOMEBODY CAR CHARGED.
WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE CHARGED CURRENTLY WITH SMUGGLING THAT CAUSED A DEATH.
AND THEY'RE ALSO CHARGED WITH MURDER.
UM, CONTINUOUS SMILING OF PERSONS IS ALSO A FELONY.
UH, OPERATING A STASH HOUSE IS ACTUALLY ONLY A CLASS A MISDEMEANOR, BUT YOU USUALLY SEE THAT CHARGED WITH A FELONY AS WELL.
UM, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT OPERATIONS, YOU'LL HAVE A LOT MORE TO SAY.
UM, WE PUT THEM IN TWO DIFFERENT KIND OF CATEGORIES.
REACTIVE, IT BEGINS WITH A TIP.
UM, AND THOSE ARE ACTUALLY EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
OUR PROACTIVE ONES WE DO A LOT OF WORK ON.
BUT DAVID, I THINK YOU PROBABLY RESPOND TO JUST AS MANY REACTIVE LITTLE TIPS.
SOMEBODY CALLS AND, AND WE GET TIPS THAT, HEY, THIS GIRL'S BEING, UH, TRAFFICKED OUT OF A HOTEL RIGHT HERE.
THERE'S A LOT OF HOTELS IN THIS AREA.
SO WE'LL GO UP AND FIND HER AD AND WE'LL CALL HER AND MAKE A DATE AND, AND THEN SET UP ON THE HOTEL AND, AND GO IN AND DO A UC AND MAKE A DATE ON HER AND FIND HER PIMP.
SO WE RECOVER HER, YOU KNOW, UH, ONE OFF OR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, A LOT OF 'EM WILL COME OUT HERE AND MAKE OUTIES.
THEN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL GET A CALL AND THEY'LL CALL US AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT SHE'S SAYING.
AND SHE'S SAYING SHE WAS AT THIS HOTEL.
AND THEN WE'LL GO OUT THERE AND START OUR INVESTIGATION ALL ON THAT.
WE GET, THEY GO MAKE AN OUTCRY OR SOMEBODY REPORTS IT.
AND I WOULD JUST SAY, UM, NOT, I'M NOT ENCOURAGING ANYONE TO HARASS THEIR NEIGHBORS, BUT WE DO SAY, THIS IS KIND OF THE NOSY NEIGHBOR CAN HELP.
WE HAD, UH, A NEIGHBOR IN SUGARLAND MM-HMM.
I SEE A LOT OF GIRLS THAT ARE DRESSED VERY SCANTILY COMING IN AND OUT OF THIS HOUSE AT ALL TIMES OF THE NIGHT.
UM, DAVID STARTED AN INVESTIGATION AND IT ACTUALLY LED TO A DISCOVERY OF WHAT YOU MIGHT CALL VERY HIGH END ESCORTS.
THEY WERE NOT PEOPLE THAT YOU WOULD SEE ADVERTISED ON YOUR TYPICAL, UM, PAGES.
THESE ARE WOMEN WHO SOMEBODY HAD CREATED SPECIFIC WEBSITES FOR EACH WOMAN.
UM, WE DID AN UNDERCOVER KIND OF STING WITH THEM.
AND THIS WAS, THIS WAS WAY OUT OF THE, A DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT STYLE THE STATES.
IT'S WENT ALL ACROSS THE DIFFERENT STATES.
THESE, AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE'S, WE'VE, WE'VE WORKED A LOT OF, UH, CASES HERE IN FORT BEND COUNTY RE HERE ALL OVER WHERE THEY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT GIRLS WHO ARE GONNA WALK THE STREET.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VERY SOPHISTICATED ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE GIRLS ALL OVER.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND THEY'RE VERY ORGANIZED.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT, LET US KNOW.
YOU CAN REACH OUT TO 9 1 1, THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOTLINE, OR YOU CAN REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE AND, AND TELL DAVID, WE ARE ALWAYS HAPPY TO LOOK INTO SOMETHING.
AND THEN I'M GONNA LET YOU KIND OF TALK ABOUT THE PROACTIVE OPERATIONS.
SO YEAH, WE DO A LOT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF WAITING.
'CAUSE NOT SOMETIMES THEY'LL COME IN A LOT OF PROACTIVE OR A LOT OF, UH, REACTIVE.
[00:35:01]
BUT WE DON'T SIT AROUND AND WAIT.WE WE'RE GONNA GO OUT, WE'RE GONNA FIND THE GIRLS, WE'RE GONNA SET UP OPERATIONS.
AND WE LIKE, UH, MR. MIDDLES WAS SAYING, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR SINCE 2019, UH, WHEN WE DID OUR FIRST OPERATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD A HESITATION ABOUT IF TRAFFICKING WAS HAPPENING IN FORT BEND COUNTY.
SO WE DECIDED WE WERE GOING TO GO TO CINCO RANCH ON CINCO RANCH, WELL, OR CINCO RANCH.
UH, WE GOT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.
WE RENTED A HOTEL FOR MONTH AND THREE WEEKS.
WE DID AN OPERATION AND, AND ARRESTED 60 DIFFERENT TRAFFICKERS.
AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY GIRLS WERE COVERED RIGHT OFF THE, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
BUT, UH, WE DID A RIGHT IN THE HEART OF FOR BEND COUNTY, WHERE THEY SAID NO ONE WOULD, IT WASN'T HAPPENING.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE PROVED IT OTHERWISE.
AND SINCE THEN, IT'S TAKEN OFF AND WE'VE, WE'VE REALLY GOT GOING.
WE DO, UH, WE TRY TO DO A COUPLE OPERATIONS A YEAR.
WE'RE ALWAYS HAVE SOMETHING GOING OR SOMETHING OR HELPING SOMEONE IF IT AIN'T HAPPENING HERE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY HOUSTON.
SO THEY ALL COME OUT AND HELP US AND WE GO AND HELP THEM.
UM, SO WE DID OPERATION LAST YEAR HERE IN THE MEADOWS PLACE.
WE ACTUALLY, UH, RENTED A, A HOUSE HERE IN THE, UH, CITY.
AND WE GOT ONLINE AND WE STARTED AB OR STARTED LOOKING FOR GIRLS WHO WERE POSTING IN FORT BEND COUNTY AND MEADOWS PLACE AND STAFFORD.
WE HAVE DIFFERENT SITES WE CAN USE.
SO IF THE GIRL, AND THEY DO, THEY'LL LIST ALL THE CITIES THEY SERVICE.
AND WE WERE, YOU KNOW, STAFF FROM MISSOURI CITY SUGAR LAND.
AND, UH, AND THIS IS, WE DID IT, IT'S BEEN A YEAR AGO, SO LAST SEPTEMBER, AND WE HAD 16 RECOVERIES, 15 FEMALES AND ONE MALE RECOVERED IN THAT OPERATION.
AND WE ARRESTED SIX, UH, UH, SIX PIMPS.
LATER WE, AND LATER WE FILE 10 ADDITIONAL CHARGES.
BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE GONNA COME HERE BY UBER, THEY'RE GONNA COME BY THEIR SELF.
THE PIPI GONNA, ISN'T GONNA DRIVE THEM WHEN THEY DO DRIVE THEM.
IT'S LESS INVESTIGATION, LESS WE GOTTA DO, WE CAN JUST, WE ALREADY HAVE HIM IN OUR, UH, WE ALREADY KNOW WHO HE IS.
BUT THE OTHER CHARGES IS WHEN WE DO OUR, STARTS OUR SEARCH WARRANTS AND EVERYTHING.
SO LAST SEPTEMBER WE DID THIS HERE IN THE MEADOWS PLACE, AND THIS IS WHAT WE RECOVERED AND NOT SAYING THEY'RE IN THE CITY, LIVING IN THE CITY, BUT THEY'RE ADVERTISING THEIR SERVICES HERE AND AROUND THIS AREA.
PEOPLE WHO ARE ADVERTISING THAT THEY'RE WORKING THIS AREA, AND AS WELL AS Y'ALL KNOW HOW CLOSE WE ARE TO BISSONNET, WHICH IS THE NUMBER ONE IN THE COUNTRY FOR TRAFFICKING WITH TWO MILES DOWN THE ROAD, PROBABLY AS A GROWTH RISE OR LESS.
AND YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW THERE'S AN INITIATIVE GOING ON ON THIS AND THAT.
SO H P D HAS SHUT THE STREETS DOWN EVERY STREET AROUND IT AT NIGHT.
BUT WE DID AN OPERATION COUPLE MONTHS AGO AND, UH, STAFFORD AND WE'VE BEEN KNOWING, WE, WE'VE BEEN NOTICING THAT WHEN WE DO THESE ONLINE STUFF, IT'S HARDER TO GET THE GIRLS.
WELL, SINCE THEY SHUT THIS NET DOWN, THEY WENT ONLINE AND THAT OPERATION, WE HAD TO, WE HAD TO STOP 'CAUSE WE WERE GETTING SO MANY AND WE WERE SO OVERWHELMED.
SO WE, WE CAN DO THIS EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE ARREST AND WE'RE GONNA DO IT.
SO IT, IT IS, THERE IS NO END.
THERE'S, THERE'S A TON GOING ON.
AND EVEN WORSE THAN THESE NOW WHERE THESE MASSAGE PAD ARE POPPING UP.
AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND TO SET PROTOCOLS AND SET, UH, STUFF.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING WE GOTTA FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET A HANDLE ON AND HOW WE ARE GOING TO, UH, APPROACH THAT SCENE BECAUSE THAT'S THIS RAMPANT EVERYWHERES.
BUT, UH, YEAH, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING ANOTHER ONE HERE PRETTY SOON I'M SURE.
THESE GIRLS POST THESE ADS ON ALL OVER.
SO WE, WE GO TO DIFFERENT SITES AND WE HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS WHERE WE LOOK AT THEIR ADS AND THEY LIST PHONE NUMBERS AND WE JUST START SENDING MESSAGES.
WELL, THEY'RE ADVERTISING WHAT THEY'RE ADVERTISING ON THEIR LINE.
AND THEN WE, WE WILL CALL 'EM AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU FREE TO MEET AND TALK? AND THEN WHEN THEY COME TO US OR WHEREVER RIGHT NOW WE'RE DOING, IF WE HAVE A HOUSE, THEN WE GIVE 'EM OUR ADDRESS AND THEY'LL COME TO US.
AND THEN FROM THERE, CASE IS, NO CASE IS MADE UNTIL THE THEY'RE AT THE HOUSE AND THEN IT'S EXCHANGE INFORMATION.
WHEN THEY TEXT US, THEY'RE LIKE, HOW LONG YOU WANT, HOW MUCH MONEY YOU'RE GONNA SPEND AND WHAT DO YOU WANT? IT'S, IT'S NO BEATING THE BUSH COULDN'T DO IT.
NO, I WAS JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE WAS CHATTER OF ENERGY MM-HMM.
AND NOBODY, I THINK GOT AN ANSWER ABOUT THAT.
SO IT'S JUST GOOD TO KNOW HOW WE WERE INVOLVED BECAUSE THEY WERE THINKING WE WERE INVOLVED, KIND OF HOW WE JUST WERE A FEW WEEKS AGO.
[00:40:01]
SO THAT'S NICE TO HEAR THAT.WELL, WE, WE, THIS AREA HAD A, WE FOUND A NICE AIRBNB, WORKED WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THEN WE JUST GOT ONLINE.
THERE WAS ADVERTISING AND STAFF FROM, UH, MEADOWS PLACE, SUGAR LAND BECAUSE THEY'LL, THEY'LL LIST ALL THE CITIES.
THEY'RE, IT, IT, SOUTHEAST HOUSTON LIST OF CITIES.
AND SO WE SEARCH THROUGH KEYWORDS AND THAT'S HOW WE, WE DETERMINE OUR LIST.
'CAUSE THERE'S HUNDREDS OF THOUSAND ADS EVERY DAY IN FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO WE NARROW THAT DOWN TO OUR AREA.
WE'RE WORKING NOW WHEN WE GO TO MONTGOMERY COUNTY OR, OR THE WOODLANDS, WE'LL, WE WILL PICK GIRLS UP THERE.
WE WILL, TWO GIRLS ARE ADVERTISING IN THAT AREA WHERE WE'RE WORKING WHEREVER WE ARE.
WE, WE DON'T, WE DON'T PULL SOME, AND NOT SAYING, SOMETIMES WE, THERE IS, THEY DO COME FROM PAYER LAND OR SOMETHING, BUT THEIR ADVERTISING HERE, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE.
IT'S WHERE THEIR AD IS, IS POSTED AT WHAT AREA.
WE TALK ABOUT THINK, OH YES, THAT WAS A, YEAH, I GOT YOU.
SO THESE, OKAY, THESE PEOPLE ARE AVERAGE.
WHAT HE'S, WHAT THE TENANT PAUL WAS SAYING IS THAT THEY'RE ADVERTISING THEIR SERVICES FOR YOUR AREA.
AND SO THAT'S THE NET THAT WE ARE CASTING IS PEOPLE THAT ARE TARGETING THIS AREA.
AND SO WE RESPOND TO THEIR ADS AND GET THEM TO, TO COME OUT AND, YOU KNOW, WE CATCH 'EM FOR THE CRIME.
UH, SOME OF WHAT WE DO IS INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES.
SO WE CAN'T GO INTO ALL THE DETAILS OF IT.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A LOT MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT, I CAN TELL YOU.
BUT I KNOW YOUR CONCERN IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WAS IT MY NEIGHBOR? I MEAN, THESE CONCERNS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, DID I PASS BY, UH, BROTHEL? WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT THE NATURE OF THE BUSINESS SO MUCH ANYMORE, IS THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE USING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IN THEIR MOBILE.
AND SO THEY'RE LOOKING FOR BUYERS.
AND THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT WE DO WITH THE JOHN OPERATIONS IS THAT WE'RE TARGETING DEMAND.
IF THERE'S NO DEMAND, THERE'S NO SUPPLY.
AND SO THEY, AS WORKERS ARE TARGETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY THINK THE DEMAND IS.
AND SO HOW YOU STOP IT IN YOUR COMMUNITIES IS THAT THEY WILL STOP TARGETING MEADOWS IF THEY KNOW, HEY, LOOK, IF YOU PUT A AD OUT IN MEADOWS, YOU'RE GONNA GET POPPED BY DAVID HALL.
SO THAT'S HOW YOU STOP THE ENFORCEMENT.
UH, WELL, YOU STOP THE, THE, THE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IS THEY KNOW THIS IS A HOT AREA.
SO, UH, THAT'S THE, THE STRATEGY THAT GOES INTO IT.
BUT I THINK WHAT EVERYBODY'S SAYING, IF YOU, YOU KNOW, IT IS A JOINT EFFORT, YOU KNOW, UM, POLICING AND COMMUNITY POLICING INVOLVES WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY, GETTING TIPS FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SO IF YOU SEE SOME IRREGULAR ACTIVITY, IF YOU SEE A HOUSE AND IT'S GOT A WHOLE LOT OF TRAFFIC TO IT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU NEED TO CALL IN.
THAT MAY BE A BROTHEL, YOU KNOW, AND, AND IT MAY INVOLVE HUMAN SMUGGLING.
IF YOU SEE STRANGE ACTIVITY, THERE ARE NO COMMUNITIES THAT ARE IMMUNE FROM THIS TYPE OF ACTIVITY.
YOU KNOW, THEY, WE'VE SEEN IT IN IN GATED COMMUNITIES, WE'VE SEEN IT IN LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES.
THEY, THEY FIND A WAY TO DO WHAT THEY DO EVERYWHERE.
AND ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS THAT THERE'S A DEMAND EVERYWHERE.
AND SO, UM, I WANNA LEAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME BECAUSE WE HAVE A VERY SPECIAL PERSON WITH US WHO'S A PART OF OUR, OUR TASK, UH, WHAT WE CALL IT, THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING, UH, TEAM, BUT SHE'S THE CHAIRPERSON OF IT.
HER NAME IS RHONDA KIRKENDALL.
AND SHE HAS A VERY INTERESTING STORY.
BUT WHAT SHE CAN OFFER FOR YOU IS THE PERSPECTIVE FROM VICTIMS, UM, AND, AND HOW THIS HAPPENS.
UM, THEY'RE ENTICED INTO THIS LIFESTYLE, RIGHT? AND THEN THEY'RE ABUSED AND EXPLOITED AND CAST IT BACK, RIGHT? AND THEN THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THESE DAMAGED SOULS.
AND THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF FAITH, UH, LEADERS AND, AND, UH, ORGANIZATIONS COME IN TO HELP PICK UP THE PIECES.
BUT I WOULD ASK, UH, MS. KIRKENDALL TO COME UP AND JUST GIVE US A PRESENTATION.
UH, MY NAME IS RHONDA KIRKENDALL.
I WAS TRAFFICKED OUT OF FORT BEND COUNTY MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.
WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING TODAY, BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU TRAFFICKING HAS ALWAYS BEEN HERE.
AND ALTHOUGH THERE'S THE ADVENT OF THIS SOCIAL MEDIA, AND THAT'S WHERE THE MAJORITY OF TRAFFICKING HAPPENS, TRAFFICKERS ACT THE SAME WAY THEY DID.
WHEN I WAS TRAFFICKED WAY BACK IN 1981, I WAS 10 YEARS OLD AND MY PARENTS WERE PAID, AND I WAS TAKEN INTO HOUSTON FIRST FROM FORT BEND COUNTY.
SO THERE WERE TRIPS WHERE I WOULD GO BACK AND FORTH FROM FORT BEND COUNTY INTO HOUSTON.
EVENTUALLY AS A 10 YEAR OLD, I WAS FLOWN OUT OF INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT OUT TO LUBBOCK, UH, WHERE I WOULD MEET MY TRAFFICKER.
MY TRAFFICKER HAS BEEN CONVICTED FOUR TIMES, THREE DIFFERENT STATES, UM, TWICE IN TEXAS.
AND I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS FOR LITERALLY DECADES.
[00:45:01]
YOU, UM, THIS PAST MAY, I HAD TO TAKE A TRIP UP TO EL PASO.MY TRAFFICKER HAD HIS PAROLE, UM, HE HAD A VIOLATION OF HIS PAROLE, AND THEY ALLOWED ME TO COME INTO THE EL PASO JAIL AND SIT BEFORE HIM FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF.
EVERYBODY IN THAT ROOM COULD SPEAK EXCEPT FOR ME.
I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO SAY A WORD.
AND SO I'M TELLING YOU THE, THE TRAUMA OF DEALING WITH SEXUAL ABUSE AND TRAFFICKING IN PARTICULAR IS A LIFELONG LEARNING LESSON.
SO NO MATTER HOW MUCH THERAPY, AND, UH, IT STILL ALWAYS COMES BACK, UH, AND I DO HAVE A WONDERFUL SUPPORT GROUP, INCLUDING MY HUSBAND, BUT I DID WANNA TALK TO Y'ALL A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO AS A COMMUNITY AND WE ARE A RESOURCE FOR YOU.
YOU KNOW, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SMUGGLING AND TRAFFICKING.
SMUGGLING IS WHEN A PERSON VOLUNTARILY CHOOSES TO HIRE A SMUGGLER, A COYOTE, AND COME ACROSS THE BORDER.
TRAFFICKING HAPPENS WHEN A PERPETRATOR USES FORCED FRAUD COERCION TO MAKE A PERSON ENGAGE IN FREE LABOR OR COMMERCIAL SEX.
YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO REMEMBER THOUGH, WITH HUMAN TRAFFICKING, IF IF THAT VICTIM IS UNDER THE AGE OF 18 AS I WAS THEN THAT FORCED FRAUD COERCION P PIECE IS NOT NEEDED.
SO ANOTHER WAY TO SAY THAT IS, ANYTIME YOU HAVE A MINOR ENGAGING IN COMMERCIAL SEX, IT IS AUTOMATICALLY SEX TRAFFICKING.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE INTERSECTIONS BETWEEN SMUGGLING AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING, SOMETIMES SMUGGLING CAN TURN INTO TRAFFICKING.
SO YOU HAVE A PERSON THAT'S BROUGHT OVER HERE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY'RE TOLD, I HAVE THIS LARGE DEBT, NOW YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO TO WORK IT OFF.
AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE INDEBTED TO THEM OR THEY ENGAGE YOU IN COMMERCIAL SEX.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS, AND ALL OF THIS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED BY THE PEOPLE THAT SPOKE BEFORE ME, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS HERE LOCALLY, WHAT YOU SEE, UM, SMUGGLING TURNING INTO, UM, TRAFFICKING IS IN WITHIN OUR ILLICIT MASSAGE BUSINESSES.
FOR A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THESE WOMEN THAT COME ACROSS FROM ASIAN CON COUNTRIES, THEY THINK THEY'RE COMING HERE FOR A GREAT JOB.
AND THEN THEY COME HERE, THEIR DOCUMENTS ARE TAKEN AWAY.
THEY DON'T HAVE, THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO LANGUAGE.
AND SO THEY JUST FEEL TRAPPED WITH NOWHERE TO GO.
AND SO WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO? MEADOW'S PLACE WAS THE FIR ONE OF THE FIRST CITIES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS TO WORK ON CITY ORDINANCES TO HELP CURB SOME OF THAT ILLICIT MASSAGE BUSINESSES.
SO WHAT CAN YOU DO AS A COMMUNITY? IT REALLY DOES TAKE A VILLAGE.
YOU KNOW, THEY'VE TALKED BEFORE, POLICE CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME.
THESE OPERATIONS ARE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE.
AND SO YOU HAVE TO BE THE EYES AND EARS IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
AND THERE IS SOMETHING THAT'S CALLED BYSTANDER INTERVENTION WHERE, AND I DO IT MYSELF.
WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT, YOUR FIRST GUT REACTION IS GONNA BE, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION.
IT CAN'T BE WHAT I THINK IT IS.
SOMEBODY ELSE IS GONNA REPORT IT.
BY YOU REPORTING A SUSPICION, YOU'RE NOT SAYING IT'S TAKING PLACE, YOU'RE JUST REPORTING.
I SAW SOMETHING THAT MAKES ME FEEL UNEASY.
SO I'M ASKING YOU IF YOU DO SEE SOMETHING IN YOUR COMMUNITY, GO AHEAD AND USE THE RESOURCES THAT YOU HAVE TO REPORT THAT.
AND THEN WE DO HAVE THE FORT BEND COUNTY DA'S HUMAN TRAFFICKING COMMUNITY AWARENESS TEAM.
WE ARE ALSO HERE TO HELP, YOU KNOW, IF THE CITY OF MEADOWS PLACE WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT THEIR CITY ORDINANCE.
THAT ORDINANCE WAS DONE A LONG TIME AGO.
SEE IF WE CAN BEEF IT UP AND MAKE IT STRONGER.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR TEAM IS WILLING TO DO TO WORK WITH YOU.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A, UM, AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN CALLED SPEAK UP, SPEAK UP SEX TRAFFICKING TALKS IN FORT BEND COUNTY.
SO WE, IF YOU WANT YOUR GREATER COMMUNITY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT, HAVE US OUT TO A COMMUNITY EVENT.
AND DURING THAT SPEAKUP EVENT, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR ASHLEY AGAIN WITH CRAIG THE AADA, A SPEAK YOU WILL HAVE A CS, A ADVOCATE AGENCY.
CIS A STANDS FOR COMMERCIALLY SEXUALLY EXPLOITED YOUTH.
A CIS A ADVOCATE AGENCY WILL COME OUT AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE GROOMING FOR OUR MINORS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THERE WAS A STUDY THAT WAS DONE BACK IN 2016 AND THEY FOUND THAT IN 2016, APPROXIMATELY 79,000 KIDS WERE BEING TRAFFICKED SEX TRAFFICKED IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UH, THAT IS A NUMBER THAT'S OLD NOW SEVEN YEARS.
SO WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHERE WE STAND TODAY, BUT I JUST WANNA REEMPHASIZE THAT WE ARE HERE TO BE A RESOURCE FOR YOU AND THE COMMUNITY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LOVED MOST ABOUT DA MIDDLETON IS HIS COMMITMENT TO COMBAT SEX TRAFFICKING.
IT WENT, UM, UNADDRESSED FOR WAY TOO LONG.
AND SO I'M HONORED TO BE JUST A SMALL PART OF HIS TEAM.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL OPEN IT UP IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS.
I THE STREET, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS THE
[00:50:01]
RESOURCES, THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY ON EAST COAST AND H DOESN'T DO MUCH.IN FACT, WHEN I TOOK TWO SURVIVORS, I'M THE ONE BRINGING THIS, I APPRECIATE YOU.
OH, SORRY, THAT'S, I APPRECIATE ENFORCEMENT DIVISIONS TALKING ABOUT IT, BUT YOU GUYS ARE REACTIVE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED IN THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST REPORTING TIPS, IS YOU TALK ABOUT FAITH BASED A LITTLE BIT.
WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I FOUND ON THE STREETS, SOME OF THE FAITH BASE ARE THE PERPETRATORS, THE TRAFFICKERS, RIGHT? AND THOSE ARE THE HARDEST ONES TO, TO GET OUT TO THE BEGINNING.
H P D DOESN'T WANT KNOW, I'M GOING UP AND DOWN WEST LOT AND I SEE YOUNG GIRLS BEING FOLLOWED 10 FEET, 20 FEET AWAY FROM THAT'S TRAFFIC.
AND I CALL THE POLICE SITTING THERE WAITING FOR 30, 45, 50 MINUTES.
SO WHAT Y'ALL, HOPEFULLY NONE OF YOU ARE BUYING STUFF, RIGHT? AND I SEE THE PICTURES UP THERE OF THE ONE PIECE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY SHOW IS THE FAMILIAL.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE LAWS 20 DON'T DEAL WITH BECAUSE THEY THINK IT'S INCES 20.
ONE OF THE THINGS I, SOMEBODY GO INTO THE LEGISLATURE 50 TO 60%.
WHAT A WASTE OF HUMAN CAPITAL.
IF YOU DON'T THINK THAT'S HAPPENING FOR BEN, I'LL PLACE IN ROSENBERG.
I'LL, I APPRECIATE YOU OPENING UP.
I WISH I COULD GET ONE MY SURVIVOR SAYS WITH ME TO TALK ABOUT IT.
THAT'S WHAT Y'ALL NEED TO HEAR.
I TAKE THIS FIRST TIME I'VE EVER HEARD THIS SPEAK.
UH, I ALSO GAVE, SHE'S SEEM LIKE A ALSO JIMMY, WE JUST STAND UP.
UM, JIMMY LIVES HERE AT CITY MEADOWS PLACE.
HE'S ONE OF THOSE STATE BASED PEOPLE, UH, THAT CONNECTIONS THROUGH
AND, UH, HAS INTRODUCED US TO AN ORGANIZATION CALLED THE LANDING, WHICH IS OVER THERE ON THIS AND THAT.
SO IF YOU WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS CONTACT RHONDA S GROUP OR CONTACT US, WE'LL PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH JIMMY.
UH, THAT LADY RIGHT THERE IS GETTING INVOLVED AND, AND GOING UP AND
SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS TO DO THAT DON'T INCLUDE PUTTING YOURSELF IN DANGER OR A LOT OF MONEY OR PUT YOURSELF AT RISK OF GETTING KNOWN TO THOSE.
THANK SO MUCH APPRECIATE TESTIMONY AND, UH, AND I'LL SHUT UP.
YOU HAVE A QUESTION? THAT ONE SOUNDS FINE IN HERE, BUT IT'S NOT DOING WELL FOR NOW.
ONE, ONE, I WANT TO JUST TALK TO THE GENTLEMAN IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM REAL QUICK.
I WORK AS THE ANTI-CHILD TRAFFICKING CONSULTANT AT TEXAS CASA.
THOSE ARE OUR COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES THAT WORK WITH KIDS IN THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM.
UH, MY JOB WITH TEXAS CASA WAS TO CREATE BOTH A PROGRAM GUIDE AND A VOLUNTEER GUIDE FOR ALL OF THE CASA PROGRAMS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS TO ENGAGE IN ANTI-TRAFFICKING WORK THAT WILL DEAL WITH FAMILIAL TRAFFICKING.
WE ARE RELEASING THE PROGRAM GUIDE ON SEPTEMBER 27TH OF THIS MONTH.
SOMETHING ABOUT THAT IS THAT SHE TALKED ABOUT CASA, IS THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER DIVISION THAT DEALS WITH THAT AND IT IS THE CHILD ABUSE DIVISION.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE PROSECUTE THOSE OFFENSES.
NOT UNDER THE SAME UMBRELLA, BUT THE SAME HARM THAT'S BEING CREATED.
AND THAT'S ANOTHER ONE OF MY PRIORITIES IS, IS THE PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT'S PROBABLY A WHOLE NOTHER PRESENTATION, BUT POINT WELL TAKEN.
UH, WE NEED TO PROTECT CHILDREN NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE, WHETHER IT'S IN THE FAMILY OR, OR WITH STRANGERS.
UH, THE OTHER THING THAT I WANNA MAKE ABUNDANTLY CLEAR IS THAT THIS IS MEADOWS, BUT WE'RE FORT BEND COUNTY.
THIS IS A PART OF FORT BEND COUNTY AND WE'RE WORKING FOR YOU.
AND THERE ARE EFFORTS, AND DAVID HALL AND HIS TEAM ARE WORKING EVERY DAY, ALL OVER FORT BEND COUNTY, WORKING WITH ALL DIFFERENT TYPE
[00:55:01]
OF AGENCIES.WHEN WE DO THESE OPERATIONS, IT'S NOT JUST THE FORT BEND COUNTY DA'S OFFICE IN COLLABORATION, MEADOWS PLACE, POLICE DEPARTMENT, F B I H, SS I, ALL THESE DIFFERENT AGENCIES WORKING TOGETHER.
AND ALSO WE HAVE, UH, FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE Y M C A THAT PROVIDE SUPPORT.
SO WHEN WE RECOVER THESE VICTIMS, WE HAVE TO TAKE THEM AND TRY TO HELP TO RESTORE THEM.
AND THAT'S WHERE THESE FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS COME IN TO HELP ASSIST US.
SO WHEN DAVID PUTS THESE OPERATIONS TOGETHER, IT'S THE COMPLETE UMBRELLA.
SO THEY'RE READY WHEN THEY RECOVER A VICTIM TO IMMEDIATELY TRANSFER THEM SO THEY CAN START RECEIVING SERVICES.
AND IT TAKES THE WHOLE COMMUNITY WORKING TOGETHER TO TRY TO PUT AN END TO IT.
BUT ONE OTHER THING YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT YOU ALWAYS HEAR ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE.
IF RHONDA'S TESTIMONY HAS NOT CONVINCED YOU THAT IT'S NOT THOSE PEOPLE, IT'S OUR PEOPLE.
AND YOU LOOK AT THESE PEOPLE THAT WE'VE CHARGED EVERY SINGLE RACE IS, IS REFLECTED IN THERE.
AND SOME OF THESE PEOPLE YOU WRITE, UH, SIR, SOME OF THEM WERE, WERE FAITH LEADERS IN THERE.
SOME OF THESE PEOPLE ARE VERY WEALTHY.
UH, IT, IT DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE.
AND WE'RE OUT THERE AND WE'RE AS SERIOUS ABOUT ENFORCING LAW, BUT WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT.
UH, BUT WE ALSO WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, I I I HEAR A WHOLE LOT OF CRITICISM ALIKE ABOUT HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY.
BUT WHAT I WILL, WHAT I WILL DO IS PRAISE MY COMMUNITY AND WHAT WE DO AND HOW VIGILANT WE ARE AND WHAT OUR OFFICERS DO.
SO I I IF IT IS, IF SOMETHING HAPPENS IN FORT BEND COUNTY, IT IS NEVER FROM A LACK OF EFFORT OR COOPERATION.
I I JUST WANT TO, FIRST, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN BECAUSE, UH, THAT'S THE THING IS, IS PEOPLE GETTING INVOLVED IN STEPPING IN.
I'M SO THANKFUL FOR WHAT FORT BEND HAS BEEN DOING THROUGH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND I, I KNOW WE ALREADY TOUCHED ON IT, BUT, BUT, BUT FORT BEND COUNTY WORKS WITH THE CITY, ALSO WORKS WITH F B I WORKS WITH, YOU KNOW, NATIONAL.
IT, IT IS HUGE, BUT IT ALSO TAKES US, AND I WAS HIDING JUST IN THE BACK AND NOT GONNA STAND UP UNTIL, UH, MAYOR JESS SAID THAT.
BUT, BUT THE THING IS, IS THAT THERE ARE, I, I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE AND YOU KNOW, WITH YOUR TASK FORCE THAT Y'ALL HAVE, YOU, THE COALITION THAT Y'ALL HAVE, AND THERE'S THE FREEDOM CHURCH ALLIANCE, AND THERE'S OTHERS THAT ARE WORKING IN A BIGGER PICTURE AND THERE'S, WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENCES AND THERE'S DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, WHY, BUT WE'RE ALL, WE ALL SAY THIS IS NEEDS TO BE STOPPED.
AND, UM, SO I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE, IF THERE'S ANYBODY THAT DOES WANT TO GET INVOLVED, THERE'S ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK WITH, THERE'S EVEN PEOPLE THAT DO PHONE CALLS THAT, THAT LOOK AT ALL OF THE, UM, THE, THE ADS AND LITERALLY WILL CALL, CALL THEM AND ASK, CAN I, CAN I PRAY WITH YOU? CAN I HELP YOU? IS, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU WANTING TO DO THIS? THERE'S ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF THINGS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT Y'ALL CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH 'CAUSE OF WHAT YOU CAN SEE AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE LIMITED WITH THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE YOU HAVE.
I, I DO PREFACE THAT THOUGH, IS WITH DOING IT IN CONJUNCTION WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE IN COOPERATION WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT SO THAT WE'RE NOT STEPPING OUT AND DOING SOMETHING THAT CAUSES HARM.
SO I AM SAYING THAT, BUT THERE ARE WAYS TO GET INVOLVED AND, AND I, YOU KNOW, SO I, THAT'S MY THING IS I JUST ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO, TO SAY, WHAT CAN I DO? NOT, SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE, BUT WHAT CAN I DO? 'CAUSE WHEN WE WERE TALKING, LIKE WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT FAMILIAL, WHAT WAS TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO, AND I DID A, A THING WITH THE, FOR THE, A PRESENTATION FOR THE CITY OF MEADOWS PLACE.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT, IT DEFINITELY WAS FOR SHOCK FACTOR.
I I, I WILL ADMIT THAT, BUT I PUT A WHOLE BUNCH OF PICTURES, LIKE NINE PICTURES UP.
IT WAS NOTHING I CREATED, BUT IT HAD A CHEERLEADER, IT HAD A PARENT, IT HAD A BUSINESS PERSON, IT HAD ALL THESE THINGS.
AND, AND THE QUESTION WAS, WHICH ONE WAS THE, IS THE TRAFFICKER? AND THE TRICK WAS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM WERE, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T, THERE'S NOT A, WHAT WE THINK STEREOTYPICALLY IS NOT IT.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU SAYING WHEN WE SEE SOMETHING, THERE'S, YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT CALLING SOMETHING OUT.
YOU'RE NOT LIKE, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE, UH, YOU'RE NOT THE ONE SAYING THIS IS HAPPENING, BUT YOU'RE SAYING, HEY, THERE MAY BE SOMETHING GOING ON.
SO IF YOU DO WANNA GET INVOLVED ALSO, THERE IS A FACEBOOK GROUP.
IT'S CALLED OUR VOICE IN TEXAS.
AND IT GOES OVER THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE LOCALLY, THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE TO CHANGE LEGISLATION AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AND IF YOU DO NOT KNOW ABOUT TRAFFICKING, THERE ARE SOME WONDERFUL GUIDES ALSO THAT WILL WALK YOU THROUGH LEARNING MORE ABOUT TRAFFICKING.
ANOTHER GUIDE SHOWS YOU ALL OF OUR LOCAL NONPROFITS
[01:00:01]
THAT ARE WORKING IN THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING SPACE THAT HAVE BEEN VETTED.THE LANDING IS A FABULOUS ORGANIZATION.
SO WHERE WAS THAT? IT'S, IT'S OUR VOICE IN TEXAS.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT WAS THERE.
UH, I HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS, SO IF THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE THEM, I MAY NEED TO STOP AT SOME POINT.
WELL YOU'LL, YOU JUST TELL ME IF I'M NOT ON TRACK.
HOW ABOUT THAT? YOU'RE ON OKAY.
UM, WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST STICKY POINTS WHERE YOU GUYS HAVE PROBLEMS IN PROSECUTING? AND IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO WHEN WE'RE COLLECTING INFORMATION OR WATCHING TO HELP WITH THAT? OKAY.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS WITH PROSECUTION.
I WOULD SAY THAT THE HARDEST PART IS WHEN WE HAVE VICTIMS WHO ARE NOT COMFORTABLE COMING TO TESTIFY YET.
AND WE REALIZE WE CAN'T MAKE A CERTAIN ELEMENT OF THE CASE WITHOUT THEM.
AND I'M NOT SURE THERE'S ANYTHING YOU CAN DO.
UM, IT'S JUST THE NATURE OF THESE CASES AND, AND SOMETIMES SOMEONE'S NOT READY TO COME FORWARD OR NOT READY TO FACE THEIR ACCUSER AND WE'RE LEFT WITH WHAT WE, WE HAVE MM-HMM.
UM, BUT WE DO, I DON'T THINK THAT YOU GUYS NEED TO BE WORRIED ABOUT THE COLLECTION OF EVIDENCE.
UM, DAVID AND HIS TEAM DO A GREAT JOB OF COLLECTING SEARCH WARRANTS, DIGITAL MEDIA.
WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO GET MORE OF THAT.
WE ANTICIPATE, WE ANTICIPATE THAT THE GIRLS WHEN IT COMES TO TRIAL ARE NOT GOING TO BE AVAILABLE.
EVEN IF THEY'RE COOPERATIVE THAT NIGHT, YEAR FROM NOW, SIX MONTHS FROM NOW WE'RE RUNNING THIS.
NOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE SOME, THEY'RE GONE AGAIN SOMEWHERE ELSE.
SO WE BUILD OUR CASES OFF WHAT THEY SAY, WE, WE THEN WE GO BACK AND WE BUILD IT OFF OF THAT.
AND WE, SO WE DON'T NEED THEM, IN OTHER WORDS, TO PROSECUTE.
SOMETIMES WE DO, BUT WE TRY TO DO IT WITHOUT KNOWING THAT WHEN IT COMES TO TRIAL, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE AVAILABLE.
I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT ORDINANCES.
UM, YOU'D MENTIONED THAT YOU GUYS WERE TRYING TO UPDATE SOME OF THE ORDINANCES AROUND MASSAGE PARLORS AND WHATNOT.
IS THERE MAYBE THE TOP THREE THINGS THAT MAKE IT MA LIKE ORDINANCES THAT MAKE IT EASIER FOR US TO KEEP MASSAGE PARLOR ILLEGAL MASSAGE PARLORS FROM OPERATING? I HAVE A LITTLE, UM, GENIUS IN MY POCKET.
HE USED TO BE THE MAYOR OF RE FOR SIX YEARS.
SO HE'S VERY, VERY FAMILIAR WITH CITY ORDINANCES AND CITY GOVERNMENT.
AND, UM, ON A SATURDAY NIGHT WE WILL BE LOOKING AT A CITY'S ORDINANCES TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST PLACE TO PUT IN ILLICIT MASSAGE BUSINESS ORDINANCE.
SOME CITIES HAVE CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS, SOME HAVE SPECIAL USE PERMITS.
RICHMOND JUST DID A VERY INTERESTING THING WITH THEIR ILLICIT MASSAGE BUSINESS AND THEY MADE IT MAINLY CITY STAFF WILL BE TAKING CARE OF IT.
SO IT WILL NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS AND PLANNING AND ZONING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
IF A CITY WANTS TO ENACT ONE OF THESE ORDINANCES, THEN DEFINITELY CONTACT US.
WE SIT DOWN WITH CITY STAFF AND WE FIGURE OUT WHAT'S BEST FOR YOUR CITY.
SO FAR WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED THESE ORDINANCES IN, IN MEADOWS PLACE HERE.
PEARLAND, RICHMOND, ROSENBERG, FULCHER.
I KNOW THERE'S SEVEN OF THEM ANYWAYS.
SO WE'RE WORKING OUR WAY THROUGH MORE OF THE, THE MORE POPULOUS CITIES.
THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS RECENTLY DRAFTED A COUNTY POLICY OR A GUIDELINE FOR, UH, MASSAGE BUSINESSES.
UH, THIS IS MY LAST QUESTION 'CAUSE I'LL SKIP SOME OF THE OTHERS.
UM, DO YOU GUYS EVER HAVE, UH, I KNOW THERE'S AN ORGANIZATION CALLED DEMAND DISRUPTION WHERE THEY'LL COME IN AND WORK ALONGSIDE.
YEAH, THAT WAS JUST, I DUNNO IF JOE MADISON IS, IS LISTENING, BUT I FORGOT TO RESPOND TO HIS EMAIL EARLIER THIS WEEK.
AND I WAS SITTING HERE AND I WAS LIKE, IS JOE COMING? AND I WENT BACK AND I READ HIS EMAIL.
UM, BUT YEAH, JOE DE UH, MADISON RUNS AN ORGANIZATION CALLED DEMAND DISRUPTION.
AND HE WORKS WITH SEX BUYERS AND HE TRIES TO REPROGRAM, UH, THEM IN TERMS OF THEIR THOUGHT PROCESS.
AND HE HAS A LOT OF INFORMATION ON THE DIFFERENT STAGES AND HOW PEOPLE GO FROM, UH, WATCHING, UH, PORNOGRAPHY ONLINE TO BUYING SEX.
AND, AND THEY GET IN AND DEMAND DISRUPTION GETS INVOLVED IN SOME OF THESE OPERATIONS AND THEY ENGAGE THE BUYERS AND THEY TRY TO HELP THEM ON THEIR, THEIR ROAD TO RECOVERY AND ENDING THEIR ADDICTION TO SEX.
AND SO JOE MADISON IS, IS A FORCE IN THIS AREA.
AND I WISH HE WERE HERE TONIGHT.
[01:05:01]
UM, I DID SOMETHING, UH, FOUR WEEKS AGO I STARTED GOING TO THE POLICE ACADEMY.AND SO, UM, JOE, IF YOU LISTEN, I'M SORRY, I'VE BEEN EXTREMELY BUSY 'CAUSE I GO AT NIGHTTIME AND I WORK ALL DAY.
SO I AM BUSY AND TO, I, WE DID THIS TONIGHT BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE CLASS TONIGHT.
SO, UM, SORRY JOE, IF YOU'RE LISTENING, I WISH YOU WERE HERE.
UH, BUT HE IS A, A PART OF WHAT WE DO.
CAN I JUST PIGGYBACK ON THAT REAL QUICK? I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE'S SAID IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN THESE GUYS PLEA OUT, UM, AND THEY'RE MAYBE GONNA GO THROUGH SOME KIND OF COURSE YEAH.
BUT SOME OF THE STUFF THEY'RE GOING THROUGH, THEY CAN KIND OF CHEAT THROUGH IT.
AND HE'S WANTED TO SORT OF MAKE IT WHERE THE COURSES THAT THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH ARE MORE MEATY AND ACTUALLY DEMAND SOME ACCOUNTABILITY.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE LOOKED AT THAT DOING THAT SPECIFIC.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN EVEN DO THAT JUST WITHIN FORT BEND.
BUT YEAH, WE, WE MET WITH JOE, UH, AND WE'VE DISCUSSED DIFFERENT OPTIONS, UM, IN, IN MAKING THAT WORK.
IT, IT TAKES A LOT OF DIFFERENT MOVING, MOVING PIECES.
UH, SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE, WE HAVE EXPLORED AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO EXPLORE.
BUT YEAH, JOE IS AN ALLY AND A FRIEND OF MINE, SO YEAH, NOTHING NEGATIVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
SO WHEN I THINK YOU CAN HEAR
SO MY QUESTION IS, WHEN YOU GO TO REPORT THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING, IS THERE A SPECIFIC WAY THAT YOU DO THIS? BECAUSE I HAVE DONE IT TO OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND TO THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOTLINE AND HAVE GOTTEN PUSHED BACK.
SO IS THERE A SPECIFIC TERMINOLOGY OF HOW, I MEAN, I CALL HIM LIKE I AM, I SUSPECT THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE BEING HUMAN TRAFFICKED AND YOU GET PUSHBACK.
WHAT KIND OF PUSHBACK DO YOU, OH, ARE YOU SURE HOW YOU, DO YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT'S GOING ON? YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS HAPPENING THERE? DO YOU HAVE PROOF? DO YOU I MEAN, IT'S LIKE, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW.
I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HERE, BUT IF YOU CALL THE TIP LINE, I MEAN, THEY'RE GONNA ASK YOU QUESTIONS JUST SO THEY'LL PROVIDE INFORMATION TO US.
RIGHT? WELL THEY, THE TIP LINE AT, AT THIS PARTICULAR HUMAN TRAFFICKING WAS LIKE, IF YOU DON'T HAVE LIKE, FOR SURE AN ADDRESS OR THIS, OR THEN, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T HELP.
IS THERE A SPECIFIC WAY THAT CAN GET THE POINT ACROSS THAT TELL 'EM WHAT YOU SEE AND WHAT YOU KNOW IS ALL I CAN TELL YOU, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TIP ON YOUR CALL.
I KNOW THAT THIS
YEAH, I, THERE'S THE TIP LINE.
THERE IS A HUMAN TRAFFICKING, LIKE A NATIONAL TIP LINE FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
I WOULD SUGGESTING YOU CALL IT A NATIONAL TIP LINE FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
THAT'S, I I I WHAT I, WHAT I THINK MAY HAPPENING IS THAT YOU GOTTA HAVE SOME ENOUGH INFORMATION TO ACT ON.
SO IF, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, YOU WANT TO HAVE AS MUCH DESCRIPTION AS POSSIBLE.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU GOT A A PLATE, YOU GOT A TIME, YOU GOT PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION, UH, ADDRESSES, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ACTIONABLE.
AND THEN YOU'VE GOTTA DESCRIBE SOMETHING THAT SOUNDS LIKE HUMAN TRAFFICKING, RIGHT? UH, THEY GET A LOT OF TIPS.
UH, HE RUNS ON A LOT OF THOSE TIPS AS WELL.
SO IF, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ACTIONABLE, I CAN TELL YOU, I CAN SPEAK FOR HIM ON THIS, IS THAT HE WILL ACT ON IT.
I'VE CALLED HIM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WITH INFORMATION, UH, AND HE'S GOT RIGHT AT IT.
I MEAN, THEY WORK 24 7, ALWAYS ON CALL, ALWAYS WORKING.
BUT IF WE GET THE INFORMATION, IT'S ACTIONABLE, YOU, YOU WILL GET A RESPONSE WHEN IT COMES TO US PROBABLE CAUSE.
PARDON ME? PROBABLE CAUSE ARREST.
PROBABLE CAUSE IS A, IS A LEGAL STANDARD AND IT'S A REASONABLE SUSPICION TO BELIEVE THAT A CRIME HAS OCCURRED.
AND SO YOU GOTTA ARTICULATE CERTAIN FACTS THAT WOULD LEAD A REASONABLE PERSON TO BELIEVE THAT A CRIME HAS OCCURRED.
SO IN IN DESCRIBING THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD DISTINGUISH PROBABLE CAUSE FROM NON PROBABLE CAUSE IS SOMETHING THAT THE CONCLUSION COULD BE, UH, NOT ILLEGAL ACTIVITY.
SO IF WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING COULD BE A CRIME OR IT COULD BE LEGAL ACTIVITY, THAT'S NOT PROBABLE.
CAUSE WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING FROM A REASONABLE PERSON STANDPOINT HAS TO BE YEAH, I I THINK THEY COMMIT A CRIME.
AND I, AND I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING WITH THAT, BUT ALSO WHEN YOU DESCRIBED EARLIER, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS WHEN YOU WERE SAYING THIS EARLIER, THEN THAT PERSON DOESN'T REALLY KNOW THAT SOMETHING'S HAPPENING.
SO HOW WOULD THEY ARTICULATE THAT SO THAT THEY SAY, WELL, I JUST THINK SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT.
AND WHEN YOU CALL THE TIP LINE,
[01:10:01]
THEY'RE NOT GONNA ASK FOR PROBABLE CAUSE.I THINK IT'S JUST TRYING TO GET THE INFORMATION WHAT YOU HAVE AND, AND NAME OR, OR SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ACT ON.
RIGHT? I MEAN, LOCATION, NAME, PHONE NUMBER OR SOMETHING.
SO I, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY SAID.
WE DON'T GO THROUGH THE TIP LINE.
NONE OF US HANDLE THE TIP LINE.
WE'RE NOT, IT'S A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO US, IT USUALLY HAS SOME INFORMATION, SOMETHING WE CAN RUN, FOLLOW UP ON.
SO MAYBE THAT'S WHY I, I CAN, I DON'T KNOW THE TIP LINE, BUT IT USUALLY COMES WITH SOMETHING WE CAN FOLLOW UP ON.
AND I, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
AND WHAT I WOULD SAY IS IF THE, IF YOU HAVE THAT PROBLEM AGAIN, WRITE US A LETTER, PUT IT IN WRITING, SEND IT TO MY OFFICE.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT FOR ANYONE ELSE WHO MIGHT CALL THAT.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU SAID IF YOU SEE SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS SO THEY CAN REPORT IT AS BEST AS POSSIBLE TO YOU GUYS AND, AND NOT GET IT BRUSHED AWAY BECAUSE MAYBE THEY WEREN'T ARTICULATING WHAT THEY NEEDED RIGHT.
TO, TO GET TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND SO THAT THE COMMUNICATION IS THERE.
AND OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS THAT, UM, WHEN YOU FOLLOW UP, OR IF YOU PUT IT IN WRITING, THERE MAY BE PATTERNS, MAYBE YOU CALL ONE NIGHT AND YOU HAD THE SAME COMPLAINT THAT SOMEONE THE NEXT NIGHT DID.
SO IT'S THE REPETITIVENESS THAT MAY CAUSE ACTION.
SO I WOULD SAY DON'T STOP JUST BECAUSE YOU GOT FRUSTRATED A FEW TIMES.
AND YOUR REPETITIVENESS, LIKE THEY SAY, THE SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS THE OIL.
SO, AND I'M SORRY THAT YOU WENT THROUGH THAT.
THAT'S NOT THE WAY THE SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED TO WORK, BUT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS.
SO, UH, WE ALL ALWAYS HAVE TO KEEP THAT IN MIND.
BUT I RESPECT YOUR VIGILANCE, IT'S APPRECIATED.
AND I HOPE IN THE FUTURE YOU DON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM.
THIS POINTED OUT TO ME THAT THE, THE PHONE NUMBERS WE HAVE UP HERE, WHICH ARE THAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOTLINE, OUR OFFICE C P S, IF THESE ARE ALL BEING TYPED IN AND THE COMMENTS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE STREAMING.
YOU CAN ALWAYS CONTACT OUR OFFICE.
YOU CALL 'EM AND TELL 'EM YOU GOT A HUMAN TRAFFICKING TIP, HE'S GONNA GET IT.
UM, SORT OF, UM, FOLLOWING ON, UM, REPORTING, UM, HOW ANONYMOUS IS A REPORTING? 'CAUSE I THINK LIKE MAYBE SOME PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO CALL OR DO ANY TYPE OF REPORTING BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID THAT THEY'RE GONNA FIND OUT THAT IT WAS THEM COMPLETELY ANONYMOUS.
YOU DON'T, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GIVE US YOUR NAME, YOU JUST WANNA GIVE INFORMATION, THAT'S FINE.
BUT YOU CAN ALSO CALL CRIME STOPPERS, UH, IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THAT.
BUT CONTACTING OUR OFFICE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GONNA DEMAND TO KNOW YOUR NAME.
IF YOU GIVE US INFORMATION AND YOU GIVE US INFORMATION WE CAN ACT ON, WE WILL DO THAT.
AND YOU JUST HAVE TO SAY, I WANNA REMAIN ANONYMOUS BECAUSE I'M SURE THE NAME DOES APPEAR ON THEIR PHONE NOWADAYS.
IT'S NOT LIKE WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU CALL POLICE, THEY ALREADY KNOW WHO'S CALLING.
WELL, I, THAT'S NOT, I MEAN, I, I GUESS YOU GOTTA HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF FAITH IN US.
I MEAN, WE, OUR, OUR GOAL IS TO ARREST BAD GUYS.
IT IS NOT TO, UH, HARASS PEOPLE, GOOD CITIZENS WHO TRYING TO REPORT CRIME.
AND SO IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT YOUR SAFETY, YOU JUST NEED TO SAY THAT.
I MEAN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO, THERE'S CONFIDENTIALITY INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS, AND WE WILL RESPECT THAT AND EVEN LAWS TO, TO PROTECT THAT.
SO, UH, AND WE DO THIS EVERY DAY.
WE GET ANONYMOUS TIPS CONSTANTLY.
AND THAT'S HOW A LOT OF CRIMES GET SOLVED.
UH, WE KNOW THERE'S A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT PEOPLE WHO PROVIDE TIPS AND, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE PREPARED TO DO THAT.
I MEAN, YOU SEE, HE'S GOT HIS GUN ON, RIGHT? SO THAT'S WHAT WE DO FOR A LIVING, IS WE SERVE AND PROTECT.
SO IF YOU HAVE THOSE CONCERNS, JUST VOICE 'EM, YOU KNOW? YEAH.
WE HAVE CALLER IDEAS COLLECTING THAT INFORMATION, BUT I GUARANTEE YOU, NONE OF MY EMPLOYEES ARE GONNA WRITE YOUR NUMBER DOWN IF YOU SAY YOU WANNA BE ANONYMOUS.
IT'S NOT MAINLY FOR ME PERSONALLY, IT'S JUST MAYBE A QUESTION THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE, HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT FOR THE PUBLIC TO OUR VIEWERS, TO OUR LISTENERS.
YOU, IF YOU WANNA BE ANONYMOUS, YOU WILL REMAIN ANONYMOUS.
DO YOU FIND THAT THERE'S CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHICS THAT ARE PREDOMINANT IN THE SEX TRAFFICKING? LIKE, I MEAN, SINGLE FAMILY GIRLS, SINGLE FAMILY BOYS, KIND OF A THING? I WILL SAY WHAT THEY ALL HAVE IN COMMON IS THAT THEY'RE VULNERABLE.
YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO BE, UH, I WAS GONNA USE THE WORD AGAIN, VULNERABLE TO, TO HUMAN TRAFFICKERS.
UH, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR YOUNG WOMEN WHO ARE, ARE GOING THROUGH SOME SORT OF CRISIS OR SOME SORT OF NEED, AND THEY'RE SAYING, HEY, LOOK, I I CAN, I CAN HELP YOU.
[01:15:01]
OR GIRLS WHO ARE VULNERABLE OR MORE LIKELY TO BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING, UH, AND THAT CROSSES ALL SOCIOECONOMIC LEVELS.AND SO THE BIGGEST WAY TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN IS TO BE THERE FOR THEM, UH, BE ACTIVE IN THEIR LIVES AND KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR PERSONAL LIVES.
BECAUSE IF THEY AREN'T ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOU, THEY MAY BE COMMUNICATING WITH A TRAFFICKER AND THEY MAY GET, YOU KNOW, DRAWN INTO THIS LIFESTYLE.
SO, UH, YOU JUST HAVE TO BE VIGILANT AND KNOW IF YOU'RE NOT TALKING TO YOUR CHILD, SOMEONE ELSE MAY.
SO, AND, AND THAT REQUIRES A, A GREAT DEAL OF COMPASSION AND, AND, AND PATIENCE, UH, WHEN DEALING WITH CHILDREN.
YOU HAVE TO KEEP THAT IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND.
IF I'M NOT TAKING THE TIME WITH MY CHILDREN, SOMEONE ELSE MAY TAKE THAT TIME UP.
MAY, MAY I ADD SOMETHING TO THAT? ALSO, THERE IS A RESOURCE OUT THERE FOR PARENTS.
STREET GRACE IS A LOCAL NONPROFIT HERE IN THE HOUSTON AREA.
THEY HAVE A DOCUMENT THAT'S CALLED KEEPING KIDS SAFE IN THE DIGITAL AGE.
AND IT HELPS PARENTS BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES PARENTS, WHAT YOU WANNA DO IS YOU WANNA NORMALIZE HAVING THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS, BOUNDARIES, SEX EXTORTION.
THERE IS A DIRECT INTERSECTION BETWEEN SEXTORTION AND TEEN SUICIDE.
SO IF WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THESE ISSUES ARE AND WE START TALKING TO CHILDREN AT A VERY, VERY, VERY YOUNG AGE ABOUT THIS, THIS BOOK HELPS WALK YOU THROUGH IT.
SO IT'S, IT'S AVAILABLE ONLINE, IT IS FREE, NO CHARGE AT ALL.
AND IT GIVES YOU LIKE A, A TEMPLATE FOR A PARENT TO GO THROUGH AND USE AND, AND KEEPING KIDS SAFE IN THE DIGITAL AGE.
KIND OF WHERE I'M GOING AT WITH HERE IS THE OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE.
IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE DOING WHACK-A-MOLE, YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME YOU BUST SOMEONE HERE, THEY MOVE OVER TO THERE, KIND OF A THING.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE ALL LEARNED IN THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS, THE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES STOP EVERYTHING.
SO WHERE I'M GOING AT WITH THAT IS IF, IF THERE'S A WAY TO TARGET THE AT-RISK YOUTH OR THE AT-RISK KIDS HERE, I MEAN, THROUGH ADVOCACY AND STUFF LIKE THAT, WE COULD POSSIBLY TURN THE NOZZLE ON THE FAUCET A LITTLE BIT TO WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE THE, WHAT THE PRODUCT IS THAT THEY'RE SELLING.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS JUST TALKING TO ASHLEY ABOUT JUST BEFORE THE MEETING STARTED WAS A NEW PROJECT FOR THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING, UH, TEAM.
AND I DON'T HAVE THIS APPROVED YET, SO I'M SPEAKING OUT OF TURN, BUT IT IS TO CREATE WHAT'S CALLED YOUTH ADVER AD ADVISORY BOARDS WITHIN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS. SO THESE ARE KIDS THAT ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS TOPIC, LEARNING AND TEACHING OTHER KIDS.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE YOU GET INTO THAT GRASSROOTS EFFORT WHERE YOU SEE IT.
UM, THERE IS A PROGRAM CALLED SENTINELS BY UNBOUND NOW, AND SENTINELS IS BASED OFF OF, YOU KNOW, BACK IN THE OLDEN DAYS WHEN WE HAD WALLED CITIES, A SENTINEL WOULD BE ON THE EDGE OF THE CITY LOOKING OUT FOR IT.
THESE ARE TO TEACH KIDS HOW TO SPOT THE RED FLAGS WITHIN THEIR OWN SCHOOLS.
AND NOT ONLY, NOT ONLY TO SPOT IT, BUT WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU SEE IT? SO WE ALL HAVE TO HAVE THIS, IT TAKES A VILLAGE MENTALITY.
AND I CAN TELL YOU YES, THE MOST VULNERABLE KIDS ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO TRAFFICKING, BUT EVERY CHILD COULD BE TRAFFICKED.
AND I, I DIDN'T USE TO SAY THAT UNTIL I HEARD A STORY OF A, A, A MOM AND A DAD THAT LIVED IN A GATED COMMUNITY AND THEIR CHILD WAS TRAFFICKED.
THE MAJORITY OF KIDS ARE IN AT RISK COMMUNITIES.
SO ARE THERE WAYS, ARE WE ACTUALLY ACTIVELY TARGETING THESE KIDS, THE, THE ONES THAT ARE AT RISK? I MEAN, REALIZE THAT MOST OF 'EM MAY NOT HAVE A PARENT AT HOME THAT'S CONCERNED THAT DOES TALK TO THEM.
IS THERE A WAY, ARE THERE THINGS IN THE WORKS TO WHERE SCHOOL COUNSELORS CAN IDENTIFY THESE KIDS AND TO WHERE THEY CAN POSSIBLY BE EDUCATED THERE TO WHERE THEY ARE AWARE OF WHAT PIMPS ARE GONNA DO AND HOW THEY'RE GONNA TALK TO 'EM AND COERCE THEM INTO THESE THINGS THAT WAY WE STIFLE THE FLOW OF THEM GETTING INTO THE INDUSTRY? YEAH.
UH, OUR JUVENILE DIVISION HAS, OR OUR JUVENILE THING, AS GIRLS COME IN, THEY HAVE PROTOCOLS IN PLACE WHERE THEY SPEAK WITH EVERY GIRL, ASK 'EM IF, YOU KNOW, TO DETERMINE IF THEY'RE AT RISK OR NOT.
AND THEY HAVE PROGRAMS. AND, UH, THE SCHOOLS, WE, WE'VE TRIED TO REACH OUT TO SCHOOLS.
SO WE JUST HAD, IN TEXAS, SCHOOLS ARE TEXAS, IN TEXAS.
SO WHAT WE HAD TWO SESSIONS AGO IS YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO INTO SCHOOLS AND TEACH, UM, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS, HUMAN TRAFFICKING RISK FACTORS.
AND THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE CAME IN AND SAID, INSTEAD OF, UH, SAY WE'RE GONNA TEACH HUMAN TRAFFICKING EDUCATION, IF A PARENT DOESN'T WANT THEIR CHILD TO LEARN ABOUT THAT SUBJECT, THEY COULD OPT THEM OUT OF IT.
SO THAT CHILD WOULD NOT BE LEARNED THAT MA TEACH BE TAUGHT THAT MATERIAL.
NOW IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, YOU HAVE TO OPT IN.
THAT MEANS THAT NO HUMAN TRAFFICKING EDUCATION CAN HAPPEN IN SCHOOLS UNLESS EVERY SINGLE PARENT OPTS IN.
IN ESSENCE, THAT'S KILLED OUR OPPORTUNITIES TO EDUCATE WITHIN THE SCHOOLS.
SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE.
SO THAT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING WE NEED TO WRITE OUR LEGISLATOR'S ABOUT, TO MAKE IT TO WHERE WE HAVE TO OPT OUT OF IT.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THE BILL WAS SSB NINE
[01:20:01]
TWO LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS AGO IN THE SECOND SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION.BUT IF YOU DO FOLLOW THAT GROUP, OUR VOICE IN TEXAS, WE WILL BE PUTTING INFORMATION THERE WHEN IT'S TIME TO ACT WITH THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE IN THE HOUSE ON THE SENATE SIDE, THEY MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT.
YOU'VE GOTTA DRIVE TO AUSTIN, BUT ON THE HOUSE SIDE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO LEAVE YOUR HOME.
YOU CLICK ON A LINK AND WRITE WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT A BILL.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUR COMMUNITY TO DO AS WELL.
WELL, AND SPEAKING FROM JUST OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND STUFF, AND A LOT OF 'EM, THE ONES YOU SAID, THEY'RE TRYING AS WELL, AND SO I, AGAIN, I'M SPEAKING UP SAYING IT TAKES A LOUD ENOUGH VOICE BECAUSE OUR, OUR, OUR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND OUR POLICE, OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH, BUT IT'S OUR VOICE AS WELL.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, STREET GRACE ACTUALLY IS, HAS A COUNCIL OF OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT, THAT THEY HAVE.
AND, AND THERE ARE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, UNBOUND HA I DON'T KNOW IF THEY STILL ARE, BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO WORK IN SEVERAL OF THE DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS LIKE, UH, IN LIKE, UH, DOWN IN BRAZORIA COUNTY AND STUFF.
WE'RE ACTUALLY SPEAKING TO EVERY BUS DRIVER AND TO TEACH THE BUS DRIVERS THE SIGNS, THE THINGS TO WATCH FOR.
SO THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE TRYING, IT'S JUST STILL NOT ENOUGH.
WE NEED TO DO MORE, BUT THEY ARE, I JUST WANNA SAY, UM, PARKS YOUTH RANCH, IT'S A, HERE IN FORT BEND, IT'S A EMERGENCY SHELTER FOR HOMELESS YOUTH, BUT THEY HAVE LIKE UNITED AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING COME IN AND TALK TO THE KIDS AND, AND HELP THEM BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT HOMELESS YOUTH OR AT RISK, YOU KNOW, ABUSED HOMELESS YOUTH ARE GONNA BE MORE AT RISK.
SO I, I'M JUST TRYING TO ANSWER THAT.
IT JUST, WE NEED TO DO MORE OF IT.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, WHEN WE CAN CHANGE THE, THE LEGISLATOR, UH, LEGISLATION, THAT REALLY HELPS TO GIVE US THE AMMUNITION.
SO YEAH, PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN AUSTIN.
JUST LIKE, UH, RHONDA JUST INDICATED AND WE ARE UP THERE EVERY SESSION LOBBYING, BUT IT, IT, IT PAYS TO BE INFORMED.
AND TO, TO ADDRESS YOUR QUESTION ABOUT YOU DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE LOST A LOT OF PROTECTIVE FACTORS, BUT KIDS WEREN'T BEING SUPERVISED.
NORMALLY A TEACHER WOULD BE IN A POSITION TO NOTICE SOMETHING GOING ON WITH A CHILD AND MAY CONTACT A COUNSELOR OR SOMEONE ELSE TO HELP WHO WILL INQUIRE AND, AND HELP THAT CHILD.
WE LOST A LOT OF THAT DURING THE PANDEMIC AND WE FOR YEARS TO COME, WE'LL SEE THE CONSEQUENCES OF IT.
IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, INVESTING IN YOUTH PROGRAMMING WILL BE YOUR SUREST WAY TO PROTECT THESE KIDS.
THEY NEED SAFE ENVIRONMENTS, THEY NEED CONTACT WITH ADULTS WHO CAN BE THE EYES AND EARS AND BE ON THE LOOKOUT AND KNOW WHEN A CHILD IS IN CRISIS AND BE ABLE TO PROVIDE REFERRALS FOR THAT CHILD.
SO THERE'VE BEEN MULTIPLE STUDIES THAT SHOW THAT IT HAS AN IMPACT ON CRIME.
THE MORE YOU SPEND ON YOUTH PROGRAMS, YOUR CRIME RATE GOES DOWN, THE MORE YOU SPEND ON YOUTH PROGRAMS, HUMAN TRAFFICKING WILL GO DOWN.
SO IT'S AN EFFORT WITH EACH COMMUNITY TO INVEST IN THEIR YOUTH.
AND SOMETIMES THAT MEANS VOLUNTEERING AT YOUR CHURCH AND BEING PART OF YOUTH PROGRAMS. SOMETIMES THAT MEANS YOUR, YOUR CITIES AND YOUR COUNTIES INVESTING IN SUMMER PROGRAMS AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS. BUT THAT'S HOW WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
WE HAVE A SAYING IN MY, TELL THEM ABOUT YOUR, OKAY.
I HAVE A, I FOUNDED A PROGRAM CALLED EXPOSED EXCELLENCE YOUTH PROGRAM, AND THE WHOLE CONCEPT BEHIND THAT IS TO PROVIDE SAFE ENVIRONMENTS FOR OUR KIDS, AND AT THE SAME TIME PROVIDING MENTORSHIP AND ABILITY TO, UH, EXPRESS THEMSELVES THROUGH PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS.
AND SO THE WHOLE POINT OF THAT IS TO TRY TO PROVIDE PROTECTIVE FACTORS FOR OUR KIDS.
AND SO THAT'S THE BIGGEST THING THAT YOU CAN DO IS INVEST IN PROGRAMS LIKE THAT.
IS, IS IT IS SOMETIMES DONATING, SOMETIMES IT IS JUST BEING A PART AND BEING A VOLUNTEER.
UH, WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THESE PROTECTIVE FACTORS FOR OUR KIDS AND, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO SPEAK UP AND SAY SOMETHING.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO, I KNOW YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS ONE THING YOU CAN DO TO HELP THE JEWS? UH, ONE OF THE THINGS IS I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO THANK THE MAYOR.
I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT HE ACTUALLY GOT UP.
HE ASKED ME, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE FACT THAT I WAS HERE AND ACTUALLY I AM A SURVIVOR MYSELF.
MY FIRST SIGN OF HELP FOR ME WAS THE FACT THAT SOMEBODY CAME, SAID, HELLO, TOOK AN SHOW ME, AND TOOK AN INTEREST IN ME SO THAT I KNEW THAT I COULD HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO ASK FOR HELP.
[01:25:01]
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.THAT'S, UM, JUST THE FACT OF SAYING HI OR JUST KIND OF LETTING SOMEBODY KNOW I'M HERE, IT REALLY CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
YOU JUST HEARD IT, YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S, THAT'S YOUR ANSWER RIGHT THERE, IS HOW WE AS INDIVIDUALS INTERACT WITH THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO JUST LIKE SHE SAID, BY JUST BEING KIND, YOU KNOW, TO SOMEONE ELSE, YOU MAY SAVE A LIFE BECAUSE THAT MAY BE THAT MOTIVATION FOR THAT CHILD TO SPEAK UP.
UH, USUALLY WE DEAL WITH DELAYED OUTCRY BECAUSE THE PAIN IS SO INTENSE, IT TAKES A WHILE BEFORE THEY CAN EXPRESS IT, RIGHT? SO THAT KINDNESS AND THAT OPPORTUNITY AND THAT EAR THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING FOR THAT CHILD MAY MAKE THE DIFFERENCE.
SO THERE IS AN INDIVIDUAL EFFORT AND THAT'S JUST BE GOOD PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, AND RESPECT HUMANITY.
FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW ME, I'M RICK STALIN, I'M ONE OF YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CHATTER ON THE FACEBOOK PAGE THAT THE CITY KNEW ABOUT THIS HOUSE.
IT WAS REPORTED, THINGS LIKE THAT FOR ME.
I OBVIOUSLY DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS HOUSE FOR TRAFFICKING.
THERE WERE REPORTS ON THIS HOUSE ABOUT CARS THAT WERE NOT REGISTERED, AND THERE WERE SEVERAL CITATIONS ISSUED FOR THIS HOUSE, FOR UNREGISTERED VEHICLES.
IT IS A BIG JUMP TO GO FROM UNREGISTERED VEHICLES TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
THAT'S WHERE THE PROBABLE CAUSE PIECE OF THIS COMES IN.
SO IF ANYBODY SAYS THAT THEY REPORTED THIS HOUSE AS HUMAN TRAFFICKING TO ANYBODY, I'D LIKE TO GET A COPY OF HOW THAT WAS REPORTED OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT SO THAT WE CAN FOLLOW UP ON WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT AND WHY IT HAPPENED.
UM, THE CA THE CITY IS WAITING ON AN AFTER ACTION REVIEW ON THIS HOUSE.
OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T GET A LOT OF THE POLICE DETAILS OR THE DA DETAILS, BUT WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT WHAT WAS REPORTED TO CODE ENFORCEMENT, WHAT WAS REPORTED TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, WHAT WAS REPORTED TO STAFF, AND JUST SEE WHAT HAPPENED BEYOND THAT.
UM, WHEN I GOT ON COUNCIL, WE HAD ONE DISPATCHER FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
WE HAVE GONE TO, WE COVER ABOUT 60, 66% OF THE DISPATCH HOURS.
NOW AFTER THAT, IT ROLLS TO FORT BEND COUNTY.
WE DO KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE ISSUES WITH FORT BEND COUNTY DISPATCH.
WE HAVE REGULAR MEETINGS WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
UM, IF YOU DO CALL AND YOU GET FORT BEND COUNTY DISPATCH, TELL 'EM NO.
MEADOWS IS NOT A NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S NOT AN APARTMENT COMPLEX.
YES, YOU DO DISPATCH FOR US AND ASK THEM TO SEND OUT ONE OF OUR OFFICERS OR HAVE ONE OF OUR OFFICERS CONTACT YOU.
UM, JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU LET 'EM KNOW THAT YOU ARE IN MEADOW'S PLACE.
TAKE THAT WITH YOU, YOU MAYOR.