In honor of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the Alameda County District Attorney's Office is stepping up its efforts to address worker exploitation and labor trafficking. Last year, the office received a $335,935 grant from the California Department of Industrial Relations to help with investigations and prosecutions, focusing on wage theft and forced labor. This information is from a recent report by the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.

The DA's Office is working with the U.S. Department of Labor to improve compliance through joint training and investigations, especially in construction, massage therapy, and street vending. They also partner with unions, service providers, schools, and churches to fight exploitation.

As part of these efforts, the office offers educational programs to help service providers and high school students understand wage theft and how to combat it. The goal is to raise awareness and empower the community to defend fair pay.

This year marks over 20 years since the Trafficking Victims Protection Act was passed, and the fight against human trafficking continues both in the U.S. and globally. An estimated 27.6 million people are victims of trafficking, including in Alameda County. In California, workers lose an estimated $2 billion in stolen wages each year, highlighting the seriousness of the problem.