Earlier this week, in a letter addressed to his department’s 18,000 employees, Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell announced a new policy: they will no longer arrest children for prostitution. The Sheriff grounded the new policy on the basic premise that children cannot consent to sex. Therefore, he wrote, “they are child victims and survivors of rape,” not prostitutes.
Now, whenever L.A. police come into contact with a CSEC victim, they must focus on getting the victim help rather than making an arrest. Officers are encouraged to notify a community organization dealing with child abuse, the Department of Children and Family Services, or the Probation Department about the victim they’ve encountered to ensure the victim has access to services. The new directive will be supported by a $1.5 million federal grant.
Beyond this change in the practical approach, McDonnell’s cadets are also encouraged to alter their perspectives of the crime to focus on the real perpetrators, beginning with language. McDonnell stressed he would not tolerate his department using terms such as “child prostitute” or “underage prostitution.”
In tandem, on Wednesday the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion declaring there is “no such thing as a child prostitute,” cementing the county’s commitment to the victim-centered approach. This motion was inspired by the #NoSuchThing campaign created by Right4Girls and the McCain Insitute
This announcement signifies a groundbreaking shift in a state that currently lacks safe harbor legislation. We applaud the efforts of Sheriff McDonnell and the Los Angeles County First Responders!