‘Good first step’ in curbing online sex trafficking
Linda Sharp isn’t a nurse, but she’s helped deliver two babies.
Taemi Weathers isn’t a firefighter, but she’s helped put out flames in the Buttes.
They’re just two of dozens of area dispatchers who are the voices on the line for someone having their worst day.
“Our mind is always kind of spinning,” Weathers, dispatch supervisor for the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office, said Wednesday. “For years I’d go to dinner and hear conversations two tables away.”
That multi-tasking, line of questioning, and instinct is the glue to emergency calls, connecting callers in distress with emergency responders, sometimes having to give medical
The online classified ad service Craigslist has shut down its infamous “personals” site, and the online hook-up service Backpage.com has been overtaken by the FBI – moves exhibiting a shift in holding websites liable for human trafficking.
It comes after President Donald Trump signed a bill Wednesday that gives prosecutors and victims greater power in pursuing lawsuits against websites that host sex-trafficking ads. Sutter County Dispatch Supervisor Taemi Weathers takes emergency calls while getting information to deputies on Wednesday.
instructions over the phone.
Wednesday was a “slow” night for the dispatch center, but Weathers and Sharp had to juggle a number of duties: Gathering information
HR 1865, nicknamed FOSTA, “Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act,” goes into effect immediately, and websites like Craigslist are already attempting to distance themselves from criminal and civil liability.
“Any tool or service can be misused. We can’t take such risk without jeopardizing all
from callers (“Was the dog aggressive?” “Do you know this person?” “Did you see it happen?”); giving that information to deputies while also searching for and relaying our other services, so we are regretfully taking craigslist personals offline,” Craigslist wrote in a message linked to its personals pages. “Hopefully we can bring them back some day. To the millions of spouses, partners, and couples who met through craigslist, we wish you every happiness!”
Sutter County Deputy District pertinent background information (“This subject has a history with us.” “This caller looks to have a concealed carry permit.”); communicating with other agencies (“Can you see if this subject has a history with you?” “This caller may have information pertaining to a case of yours.”); and keeping aware of the goings-on in other agencies in case they may need back-up.
Dispatchers also take calls from the business line and calls to the jail. In their down-time, they’re responsible for processing police reports to go to the district attorney; inputting relevant information into their system; processing warrants and restraining orders; and organizing ride-alongs, among other duties.
“It’s a thankless job,” Weath- Attorney Clint Curry, who is experienced in prosecuting sex cases, said while he has reservations for the future of the law, he believes it’s a good first step.
“At least for the time being, this should make it harder for pimps and traffickers to run their businesses,” Curry said