63 arrested in Stanislaus County during weekend ‘Operation Reclaim and Rebuild’
Stanislaus County law enforcement agencies arrested 63 people during a two-day operation focused on combating prostitution, the Sheriff’s Office said.
“It’s all with the intention of keeping Stanislaus County and its community safe,” Sgt. Luke Schwartz said.
Last Friday and Saturday, the agencies participated in “Operation Reclaim and Rebuild,” categorized by agencies as a statewide human trafficking effort.
Most of the arrests were misdemeanor prostitution-related offenses, Schwartz said, including people who were either buying or selling sex. There were also some felony weapons charges and one felony case involving someone who allegedly believed they were meeting a minor for sex.
In addition to the arrests, the operation also worked to refer people to community resources such as Haven Women’s Center and the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office victim services.
Five people were referred to victim services, and Child Protective Services handled two cases. Schwartz said another 13 were “rescued,” which included those who had been registered as missing persons.
“Once we have these encounters, we try to point these folks in the right direction and get the folks the tools they need to turn their lives around,” Schwartz said.
Schwartz said the operation was considered human trafficking because of the ways sex workers can be taken advantage of or face violence or other forms of coercion. He did not specify what the circumstances were behind these arrests.
Oakdale, Newman, Turlock and Modesto Police Departments participated in the operation alongside the sheriff’s office, Child Protective Services, California Department of Justice and other related groups.
“This is a complex societal problem, and it’s not something just the sheriff’s office can take on itself, so we want to thank the law enforcement realm and the social services realm,” Schwartz said.
