About to start today's Council meeting. There's only one item on consent, Wang's changes to code on sex traffic that will add admin penalty process. It's on Non-Consent pretty much performatively, so there won't likely be critical review, unfortunately

Issues of racial profiling and pretextual stops immediately come up in the gamut of why those issues are important, from social justice factors to the NSA. But it's hardly come up, and basically OPD said, trust us, we won't abuse it.

Houston says he's going to have some questions on the OFD Fire Station 4 local participation for the design contract

Now on to 5.1, the commercial sex purchasing administrative fines, and aligning the law with AB 379. Wang is starting with the same 13 year old video on human trafficking that she played at the PSC

Wang is showing the same presentation that she played for the PSC, which starts with two photos of herself interacting with constituents. She says the goal of the legislation is "shifting the role to demand side...while ultimately creating a sustainable restitution model"

The City spends about 3.8 MM through DVP on sex trafficing victim services. Wang's estimate of what the restitution model would bring is about $250 to 450K.

Wang says that the focus of the legislation is to target child sexual exploitation, which has been an increasing issue on "the Blade" in Oakland.

Wang describes the Blade as being focused in D2, an area of concentrated poverty, says families, businesses etc are on the blade, as well as schools. She says convenience stores have started to cater to the sex traffic market.

Wang: "in the same way that we have fines for illegal dumping...this is going to provide another level of accountability that is faster and more certain" than justice system.

Wang repeats the statistic that "recent arrest data that comes from OPD 70% are residents outside of Oakland". The fines are pretty heavy; they would be adjudicated administratively, can be contested, and could only be recouped through means like collections and small claims

Wang says that the "affirmative defense" provision for the legislation is if the person was being sexually exploited. Wang says that the funds would go into a special fund, but as DVP acknowledged, it would be a tiny fraction of what the City already spends.

Wang: "250K-450K annually"...she says that in January alone, Oakland has made 20 arrests for soliciting

On to deliberation. Brown suggested some amendments which are included in the legislation: the legislation now includes proprietors as well as property owners. Also data tracking to make sure that the legislation is being waged ethically, as well as funding for services

DVP, which does the majority of the City's service work facilitation and funding has been a bit of a side conversation on all this.

The first report will come back by August. Brown "we're keeping an eye out for any unintended consequences" with the regular reports.

Unger asks how the money will be spent and tracked. Wang says that with Chief Joshi of DVP, they will be talking to sex workers on the Blade to find out what they need

Wang says that the best funding would be street outreach.

Unger: "will we be doing an RFP for a provider...does DVP decide?" Wang, DVP will be issuing several RFPs. Its odd framing, as DVP already does all this work via funding with orgs that focus on it.

Fife notes that Joshi was in the documentary..."many years in the field...and appreciate that you are continuing the work that CM Bas and others were doing..."

Fife asks about how the enforcement will work. Wang says that Lt. Campos, who oversees this area of policing, will be training "on how to issue these citations...it should not require additional staff in order to implement"

Gallo soliloquy. But Gallo rightly acknowledges that the Blade has moved over generations, from North Oakland, to Fruitvale, and throughout East Oakland, and now to D2. [what he doesn't say is that this has been an outcome of enforcement practices, very visibly]

"officers got involved with the girls on the street" Gallo says that everyone knows how that went [Celeste Guap]. Gallo also says that the prostitution was focused around St Anthony's before it was diffused to other areas

Gallo also describing the Dear John letters. "it comes down to enforcement and we've got to get the FBI involved"...Gallo says that the FBI wouldn't partner with OPD because St Anthony's and others did not want cameras on the street.

Lt Marcos Campos is in charge of the child exploitation and human trafficking and is now describing the City's relationship with FBI on sex traffick. "we currently have one sgt & 4 investigators...on the Blade...with the FBI we coordinate our efforts for the most violent"

Campos noting that a previous law removed loitering for purposes of commercial sex...and it's now back in the new AB 379, mentioning Weiner's previous legislaton

Campos says that there have been 34 arrests this year for prostitution, and 27 of those were from outside of Oakland. Campos mentions constitutional policing and proper training as part of the process. Statements that weren't made at PSC

Campos says that the new law "allows us to adjust our strategies and plan to remove the demand"

Gallo inadvertently described the effect of the way OPD has shifted the Blade without actually affecting the volume of sex traffic, despite that clearly not being his intention. He says there should be more enforcement, somewhat undermining the focus of the legislation.

Houston: "this is embarrassing that it's been going on for fifty years...it went to San Pablo then back to East Oakland".

Campos responds to Houston's questions about how many non-Oakland residents are being a, it's a pretty small set of data really, just January and first few days of February. "the numbers have shifted to 55%". That's unlikely a real shift, given it's only February 3

Wang says she's convened a working group with AC Transit to focus on human trafficking on E 14th. Houston says he wants to focus on transportation.

JR: "how does this legislation interact with criminal prosecution..." she mentions the fact that most arrested are rarely charged or prosecuted, asks how this will facilitate. Wang says the City will pursue the administrative fines when there is no prosecution "either, or"

Wang says that ALCO DA is supportive of the program.

For the record, JR is chairing the meeting, but there was no rationale stated.

Brown notes that Wang is seeking camera footage from buses and BRT stations on sex traffic

Fife brings up the issue originally brought up by Gallo, about Celeste Guap, "28 law enforcement officers involved in trafficking an underage girl...how do we hold city staff accountable and who does that..."

Fife asks if those cops would have faced administrative fines, Wang says that they would have. Gallo excuses himself to join a public safety meeting at Fruitvale Village but supports the legislation

There's about 2 dozen speakers, they each get 2 minutes each

A speaker from Love Never Fails, an outreach group that also houses exploited women, says that this likely won't stop the traffic, "but it will be a hindrance". He says the penalty should be bumped up to a felony

Speaker is an outreach worker involved with an OUSD anti-trafficking program

One of the only speakers highlighting the pitfalls of the legislation, racial profiling, harms to the same community in the name of enforcement. Supportive of the legislation, but wants to be honest about unintended consequences

Quite a different tone and framing from survivors and business owners/property owners/realtors

A supportive speaker who runs a community center and youth center says he has interactions with sex workers to help them, allows them to use bathroom, etc. [but it seems like that could generate citations]. Surprised this didn't come up in discussion

Another skeptic, but there have been few. Want to clarify, the previous speaker was supportive and he himself did not question whether his activities would fall under suspicion, but it would on the merits IMO

Wang had to remind public that the City council cannot make criminal actions felonies.

Legislation passes unanimously [Jenkins and Gallo excused]. But it was surprising to see that the DVP made no comments and was not involved in preparing the report.

Now on to the Consent Calendar, there is an urgency vote required to hear the Cannabis Commission appointments [would not have quorum without appointment], which passed. On reading in CC, Council lost quorum...waiting for CMs to return.

Houston is pontificating about cannabis businesses

Brown spoke briefly about murders of residents by ICE agents including Keith Porter, regarding her legislation in support of state bill AB 1537, that would bar local police from working for ICE/BP

Brown also spoke in support of her Cannabis Commission appointment Ah’shatae Millhouse and pointed out that Cannabis Commission has been unable to meet due to quorum issues

Odd moment, Houston's staffer came up to complain about a cannabis business that lacks building permit...then Houston asked if he could ask her questions on the podium. She did not sign up to speak.

New Cannabis Commissioner Millhouse spoke on her appointment after all that.

After public speaking, JR says parliamentarian opinion is that assistant speaking time will come out of his time.

It turns out that the business is seeking the permits concurrently. [those observing that Council has become a kayfabe arena for CMs playing out political careers]

Consent Calendar passes. No one mentioned the police collision settlement, tho a member of the public brought it up.

Wang said that there's a meeting tomorrow hosted by her and Fife on the Costco proposal tomorrow at 5:30 pm at East Bay Asian Youth Center, 2025 East 12th Street.

That's it for the meeting.