Rep. Diehl: Time to take human trafficking seriously

It’s time to take the scourge of human trafficking seriously
By Oregon State Representative Ed Diehl,

Oregon has a serious problem with cartels. These violent gangs are trafficking drugs, children, and adults. Unfortunately our current Attorney General, and legislative leadership under Dan Rayfield, have not taken this problem seriously. The truth is in the budget numbers.
The Democrat majority legislature has consistently underfunded the Oregon Department of Justice Trafficking Response & Intervention Program. Frankly, it is an embarrassment, and is in stark contrast to the emphasis our neighboring states place on this issue.

For the current fiscal year, the state allocated a measly $151,050. This is barely enough to hire one staff person, a Human Trafficking Response and Intervention Coordinator, along with enough to cover basic supplies and other expenses. It is nowhere near the amount required to make a serious dent in this problem.

To get anything done, the Coordinator is essentially tasked to seek additional funding through a federal Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) grant. This provides a bit more for additional staff and supplies. But it still isn’t enough to impact meaningful change. Here’s their total budget:

Given the scourge of drugs in our state, and the harm to children, this “investment” is pathetic. It shows total disregard by the DOJ and legislative leadership. We need to start taking the issue of human trafficking seriously. We cannot ignore this problem any longer.
Step one: Elect an Attorney General that takes it seriously.

Will Lathrop has the experience and passion that is needed to be our next Attorney General – that is why he has my enthusiastic support.

I TRUST WILL LATHROP TO:

PROTECT CHILDREN FROM ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION

Oregon is failing to keep our children safe. We’re seeing an unprecedented increase in accidental fentanyl exposures, and a dramatic rise in online child exploitation. As the Chief Child Protection Officer, Will is committed to bolstering child protection services, holding DHS and our foster care system accountable, and protecting vulnerable children from online exploitation, fentanyl, sexual abuse, maltreatment, and neglect.

REDUCE CRIME & HOLD DRUG TRAFFICKERS ACCOUNTABLE

Oregon’s justice system is failing vulnerable individuals as drug traffickers exploit addiction and disrupt families. Will, as the state’s leading law enforcement officer, plans to rebuild the Criminal Justice Division and form partnerships with state, local, and federal authorities to combat organized crime and hold traffickers accountable

COMBAT PUBLIC CORRUPTION

Oregon has a soft-corruption problem and there is growing mistrust for our elected leaders and how taxpayer funds are spent. Will is committed to enforcing a zero-tolerance policy on public corruption and will investigate the misuse of taxpayer funds.

Lastly, I want to share a story about how this is playing out in one of my counties. This is an excerpt from a recent Facebook post. It summarizes what we’re dealing with pretty well:

“Have you ever been curious about the people at the corner of a rural intersection selling fruit? They may be sitting, or under an EZ-up, or may have nothing but their boxes of fruit. Have you wondered how they make a living at this? They have to buy the fruit, transport it, then sell it. If they transport it, where is their car? Well, I finally got to the bottom of it. THEY ARE SLAVES. I discovered this last summer at my property in Woodburn. There was a man with a wagon selling fruit on my property. I went out to ask what he was doing, since he didn’t have permission. He spoke no English, but thanks to Google Translate, we were able to communicate. Through question and answer he told me about how he was brought to the border, allowed across, then picked up on the other side by a coyote (trafficker). He was then ‘sold’ to someone here in Oregon who gives him a place to live (read exist). Each day he is dropped off along with others on a route across the area. He works for nothing except for the opportunity to one day be free from his master. I told the gentleman to carry on, and I contacted the police. Their response was less than enthusiastic, more like a hassle to them. They made contact with him, and he denied the story. The next day, all of the people selling fruit on my way to work were gone, never to come back to the area. This is the human trafficking going on all around you. You see it every day, but never connect the dots.”

We cannot let this continue. Join me in electing Will Lathrop as our next Attorney General!