many of the people we have long
viewed as criminals, are in fact,
victims. They might not necessarily
fit the “victim” stereotype, but they
are victims nonetheless. They are in
dire need of the protection and the
support law enforcement provides.
In fact, statistics show that 75-95% of
prostitutes were abused as children
and are often the victims of domestic
violence at the hands of their
trafficker
With this change in mindset, I
reached out to students who were
completing their Master’s Degree
in Social Work at the local state
university. O.L.I.V.E. consists of
a group of volunteers, primarily
undergraduate students and social
workers, who frequently ride along
with patrol officers. The concept is
that the officer will make the initial
contact with a sex industry worker,
and quickly establish a rapport.
The conversation then turns toward
O.L.I.V.E., and introductions are
made with the volunteer who is
participating in the ride along. The
officer would remain on scene for
security and questions if needed. If
the victim wishes to escape the life
of prostitution and sex trafficking,
O.L.I.V.E. would place her into a preestablished women’s shelter that has
agreed to house women who identify
as sex workers and human trafficking
victims. Along with myself, there are
5 board members. In March, O.L.I.V.E
received its official non-profit status
and became a state recognized trust.
O.L.I.V.E. has already assisted six
women, either members of the sex
trade industry or victims of human
trafficking. One particular 24-yearold woman had started working as
a prostitute at the age of 17 in New
York City. This young woman was
sold from pimp to pimp and was
transported across several states
and cities. She had been kidnapped,
beaten, raped, robbed, and arrested
in nearly every state, but was never
provided assistance by those sworn to
protect. She was a 24-year-old victim
stuck in an impossible situation with
no means of escape. With a little
effort, we were able to place her
in a women’s shelter, and provide
her with a means of finding her
independence and confidence.
Although simple in concept,
O.L.I.V.E. strives to be the beginning
of a shift in mindset for officers and
how they look at the community
they serve. The support for O.L.I.V.E.
in our area is overwhelming and is
growing each and every day. We,
as law enforcement leaders and
pioneers, need to identify the change
in what our current society and
community want from their police. As
it had been stressed to the members
of the Madera Police Department,
we should encourage our officers to
build lasting relationships with all
members of the community, and help
citizens better themselves. ■
SPRING 2016 | California Police Chief
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