Los Angeles City Council seeks to combat forced labor

Lina PortmanJune 6, 2024

0 1 minute read

The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday requested a report from the Los Angeles Police Department on its efforts to monitor and combat forced labor practices.

Additionally, the City Purchasing Officer and the Office of Contract Administration will be responsible for providing details on protocols used to ensure that vendors with contracts with the City do not engage in forced labor practices.

The council voted 14-0, with Councilor Curren Price absent.

An LAPD representative said the department has a labor-related crimes unit, as well as an exploitation and investigative section tasked with investigating human trafficking and sex trafficking.

Council members Monica Rodriguez and Hugo Soto-Martinez requested the report through a motion they made in December 2023.

They noted that forced labor – when people are forced against their will to provide services through the use of force, fraud or coercion – is a significant component of human trafficking. Officials said certain risk factors can make individuals or groups more vulnerable, such as immigration status, language barriers, poverty and lack of basic needs.

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, victims of human trafficking and forced labor can be of any race, age, religious affiliation, gender identity, nationality, or socioeconomic group.

Signs that a company or employer may be engaging in forced labor practices can appear at any point during the recruitment and employment process. Employers can deceive workers into exploitative work or create debt bondage by charging recruitment fees. Once the person is working, the employer can also force, defraud or coerce the victim into doing work not agreed upon at the time of the request.

“Incidents of forced labor occur every day in Los Angeles and the region; however, these activities are rarely reported,” the motion states. “As such, the city must do everything possible to monitor and combat forced labor practices in order to ensure the protection and well-being of vulnerable populations. »

Lina Portman

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