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Government
Gilbert task force tackles sex trafficking, domestic violence
Screen capture from YouTube
Gilbert Community Engagement Task Force member Chris Curley addresses Gilbert Town Council about the task force's recommendations on combating human and sex trafficking in town.
Gilbert’s Community Engagement Task Force delivered its first set of recommendations to deal with challenges in town.
Task force members discussed strategies to combat sex trafficking and domestic violence in the community in a study session Oct. 24 for Gilbert Town Council.
The goal is developing enhanced resources and education to increase awareness on sex trafficking in the community, which task force members said does go on in Gilbert.
Task force member Chris Curley, a former law enforcement officer who said he often posed online as a 14-year-old girl to combat sex crimes against children, emphasized the need for stricter penalties for sex crimes and the importance of education in schools.
“We need to make these kids and parents aware that it can happen anywhere at any time,” Curley said.
Curley and Melanie Dykstra, the staff liaison to the task force, said sextortion is a new crime that has arisen with the advent of social media about which parents should be aware. It involves blackmailing youth over pictures they have shared online.
On the topic of domestic violence, the goal is to support legislation, education and awareness around domestic violence.
Task force member Alex Rodriguez, a licensed therapist, highlighted the need for resources for both victims and offenders of domestic violence, as well as the importance of emotional and financial abuse awareness.
“One of the things that we have been talking about a lot is how COVID kind of changed awareness for domestic violence, and the numbers went up because a lot of people were stuck at home with their perpetrators,” Rodriguez said.
Using the town’s 2019 community needs assessment as a guide, the task force, which was appointed in February 2022, was charged with identifying opportunities for community engagement and actions that can be taken on five council-identified topics: human and sex trafficking, domestic violence, homelessness and low-income challenges, mental health and suicide prevention, and ensuring Gilbert is a kind, welcoming and inclusive community.
The task force plans to focus on homelessness and low-income challenges in its next meeting with council in January, said Dykstra, who is the town’s volunteer and community resources manager.
Raised in Arizona, Tom Blodgett has spent more than 35 years in journalism in Arizona and joined Independent Newsmedia in July 2022 to launch the Gilbert edition. He is a graduate of Arizona State University, where he served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication from 2005-19 and remains editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet.
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