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About 200 people participated in a session Monday in San Mateo County that focused on combating human trafficking ahead of major sporting events happening in the region next year.
With Super Bowl LX and several FIFA World Cup matches taking place at Levi’s Stadium in nearby Santa Clara next year, the session served as an opportunity to learn how to recognize signs of human trafficking.
“We want to make sure that everyone understands that if you see something, it’s important to say something,” said San Mateo County Supervisor Jackie Speier in a statement. Speier co-hosted the event with Supervisor Ray Mueller.
According to the Alliance to End Human Trafficking, large sporting events like the Super Bowl and World Cup can be accompanied by possible human trafficking due to the increased demand for labor and commercial sex services. The Alliance to End Human Trafficking is a national organization that works to combat human trafficking through education and awareness.
“If you’ve had the regrettable opportunity to speak with a human trafficking victim, you know how repugnant it is,” Speier said. “You know how destructive it is, and you know that it could have been stopped.”
San Mateo County is considered a high-risk area for human trafficking because of its proximity to three international airports and major highways, according to the county.
Prosecutors, nonprofit leaders, workers from the hospitality and transportation sectors, and representatives from local, state and federal law enforcement attended the three-hour session.
Speier emphasized the need to boost coordination between law enforcement agencies and the hospitality and transportation industries in establishing preventative measures.
Mueller urged the attendees to expand training in their own organizations in the coming months leading up to the large sporting events. Super Bowl LX is on Feb. 8, and there will be six FIFA World Cup matches from June to July.
Before becoming supervisor, Mueller worked in the legal field. He reflected on a case related to human trafficking that left an impact on him.
“I learned about women who were promised a better future, brought here, locked in an apartment and trafficked,” Mueller said. “Those women are on my mind today because we know that in the coming weeks and months, people will be brought here for that purpose.”
Several police chiefs and senior law enforcement leaders from across San Mateo County also attended, including District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe and Sheriff Ken Binder.
The event was organized by the county in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center, the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office and other partners.
The county is hoping to continue building on its trainings and make its anti-trafficking work a year-round effort.
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