VISTA — To fight the mounting crisis of human trafficking — the coercion of men, women and children into commercial sex service — law enforcement officers and relief providers met to form the North County anti-Human Trafficking Coalition at the Vista Townsite Community Partnership on June 26.

The event was organized by Kaye van Nevel of Soroptimist International of Vista. Her goal was to create a group that would support the often overworked Sheriff’s Department in combating commercial sexual exploitation of children in North County.

“Human trafficking is on the rise in San Diego,” Patti Fox with the Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition said. Fox said that San Diego is especially susceptible because of its proximity to the border and because it is a popular destination for tourists, many of whom come here specifically for illicit sex.

Commercial sex abuse can be difficult to spot according to Officer Jim Smith with Vista Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving, or COPPS. He pointed out that while conventional streetwalkers have largely disappeared, the Internet is crawling with solicitations on virtual bulletin boards like Craigslist and MySpace, if you know what to look for.

Runaways are a good portion of North County’s trafficked population, providing easy targets for recruiters who seduce or bully them into working for them, said Jason King, manager of the Sheriff’s Department Human Trafficking task force

“This pimp shows up in a 2008 Denali with cash galore buying the girl a $500 Coach purse, and then, all of a sudden, she’s in love!” King said. “It’s a brainwash.”

There are two sides to human trafficking — the manipulators and the victims. Law enforcement primarily deals with the latter because it is much easier to find a prostitute than her pimp, according to Smith. Often times, Smith said, officers will put a girl in prison for her own protection.

“We provide safety and separation from their pimp which ... is huge getting them back on the road to recovery,” Smith said.

This is where Fox’s group becomes involved, providing safe housing and counseling for the girls. This short time, from arrest to release from jail or a shelter, is crucial in rescuing a victim of trafficking, according to Michelle Smith with the Center for Community Services.

“You have a little window of opportunity that you might not ever get again; and if you blow it, they’re going to go back,” Michelle Smith said.

Michelle Smith and her organization are focused on the other side of trafficking — the pimps. Traffickers are highly organized these days, and King said gangs are now set up solely for the exploitation of young women.

“Young girls make more money than old girls ... and so these gangs are moving into the high schools and that’s where they’re recruiting,” King said.

“As long as you have people who are excellent recruiters ... we’re always going to have ... a really dangerous situation,” Michelle Smith said.

Testimony from victimized girls is invaluable in arresting the traffickers, but the brainwashing is often so deep, it is a difficult challenge to get a young girl to turn against her pimp, Fox said.

“There’s not enough trained therapists that address this issue,” Fox said. “Think of it — repeated sexual assault, repeated violence, trauma and brainwashing. And they’re 15. It’s hard.”

The best way to deal with trafficking victims is to make sure they are never trafficked, coalition members believe. This is why they push prevention through education with school programs, college courses, even proposed public service spots at the Krikorian Theater. Because the issues are sensitive, educators often have to broach the material as a footnote in sexual education or gang awareness programs.

For more information on the new coalition, or how to can get involved in the fight against human trafficking, contact Kaye Van Nevel at (760) 630-7839.