Dr. Sandie Morgan, Dave Stachowiak, and Westminster Police Department’s Deputy Chief Derek Marsh discuss the myths and misconceptions of human trafficking. Deputy Chief Marsh has worked on Orange County’s local anti-trafficking efforts since 2003, including co-chairing the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force for nine years. In Part 2, they discuss myths 7 through 12 about human trafficking as outlined by the Polaris Project.

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Transcript

Dave [00:00:00] You’re listening to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. This is episode number 72, A Dozen Myths About Human Trafficking (Part Two). Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. My name is Dave Stachowiak.

Sandie [00:00:31] And my name is Sandie Morgan.

Dave [00:00:33] And this is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. And we did that in a big way back on last episode, Sandie, number 71, where we began to look at the 12 myths of human trafficking that the Polaris Project has put together. And we were fortunate to have Deputy Chief Derek Marsh from the Westminster Police Department with us on Episode 71. And we talked in detail about those first six myths. And so we’re bringing you now the second half of that conversation, which is now looking at myths 7 through 12 and talking in detail on what are some of the things that are maybe popular myths about trafficking that aren’t necessarily true, or there’s only a piece of them that are true and really looking at the complexity of this issue. Because that is important to us, Sandie, is really looking at the full complexity of this issue and studying the issues so that we can be even more effective at working to end human trafficking. Before we get into that interview, though, speaking of getting more effective at studying the issues, we have the conference coming up to really help all of us to become more effective in just a few months, Sandie.

Sandie [00:01:50] That’s right. So, you want to be an early bird and get the early bird rate to register for Ensure Justice 2014, Why is She a Slave? Our speakers are amazing, Steven Baumann’s CEO of World Relief and Dr. Joanne Bew Trend, Reverend David Myers from the White House faith-based agency in Homeland Security and Shyima Hall. And if I can encourage you, you will love meeting Shyima and hearing her tell her story. Her book is coming out on January 21st, I’d advise you to preorder it. Go on to Amazon.com and order The True Story of a Modern-Day Child Slave Hidden Girl.

Dave [00:02:39] So, Sandie, I think that’s going to give us a good overview of the conference. So, a reminder to go to gcwj.vanguard.edu. That’s a great place to find information. And now let’s go ahead and join our conversation again with Deputy Chief Derek Marsh.

Sandie [00:02:58] Thank you, Deputy Chief Marsh, for coming back to finish 6 more of the 12 myths that we are addressing human trafficking. And we talked about the first six that included the idea that only foreign nationals were victims, that this was a crime of travel and crossing borders. We talked about the difference between trafficking and smuggling, the elements of physical bondage, as well as the idea that victims are asking for help and will self-identify, and finally, we discussed the idea that all victims come from some sort of poverty situation. Now we’re going to roll into the last six myths. The first of which is myth seven, how can the first be number seven? I don’t know. Sorry about that myth seven, sex trafficking is the only form of human trafficking. Tell us the reality.

Derek [00:04:03] Well, again, I think this is also generated, I think probably from a law enforcement focus as far as what we’re able to actually go out and pursue. I know that from a law enforcement area, because that’s my expertise, obviously, that any kind of vice operation is something that law enforcement is very capable of doing that we’ve been doing for decades. As far as finding people who are, you know, performing illicit sex acts for people. And so, moving into sex trafficking was a relatively easy thing to do. But if you look at the numbers across the world, in fact, they’re exactly the reverse. That for the most part, if you look at the ILO, International Labor Organization, they estimate that 60 to 70 percent, if not more of all trafficking is labor trafficking. There’s a study by a Harvard professor that claims that 96 percent of all trafficking is labor trafficking. If you look at the United Nations reports, they claim anywhere from 50 to 70 percent of all trafficking is labor trafficking. It’s only here in the US with our task force and our expertise in vice investigations that we would be able to get what we’re looking for. And I think the reverse is true, except for the world that now we show that sex trafficking is 80 to 90 percent of the trafficking we find in the United States. Whereas I think if we were to have better expertise in finding forms of labor trafficking and following up on those investigations, I think we’re developing them but not we’re not there yet, that we would find that sex trafficking, while predominant and nothing to minimize, may not be the overwhelming type of trafficking that’s occurring in the United States.

Sandie [00:05:43] Well, and one of the things that reflect how we are changing is our legislation because here in California, the California Transparency Act has helped us begin to identify slave labor that’s on the shelves in our stores. And we have a secondary responsibility to that because we drive demand for those cheap products, and which drives demand for labor trafficking. But you all know, that’s one of my pet peeves, and I want to talk about that all the time. But I need to move on to Myth eight while we have the deputy chief with us today, human trafficking only occurs in illegal underground industries. What’s the reality?

Derek [00:06:30] Yeah, that’s another one. I think that it sounds cool. I think we have a lot of media that is posted, movies like Taken, or I can think of any 10 movies off ...