Dear Friend,
When I entered law enforcement more than 30 years ago, I suspected I would have to work hard to keep teens safe from missteps like underage drinking, experimentation with drugs, unsafe driving, and the other typical dangers of youth. I never dreamed that I would one day be fighting to keep children in our community safe from sexual slavery.
Yet today, San Francisco Bay Area’s peaceful façade belies its distinction as one of the nation’s largest hubs in sex-trafficking the fastest-growing organized crime industry in the world. Children are victimized in our community every day, but resource limitations and geographic restrictions prevent even the most dedicated law enforcement agencies from proactively searching for them. Predators understand this, just as they understand that by threatening their young victims with arrest or violence, they can enslave them in perpetuity.
But with your help, we are making inroads. In just one short year, Special Operations has established itself as a boots-on-the-ground force, providing the tactical help needed to find victims, bring them to safety, and provide them with the support they need.
The $45,000 raised during our first fundraising event gave us the boost we needed to enlist retired law enforcement professionals and private investigators to locate and assist young victims. In our first year, you made it possible for us to directly help 23 girls, and directly target 4 violent criminals.
These are wins that you have made possible with your support, commitment, and compassion. We have a long way to go so many children need our help but with you by our side, we are positioning for success with a model that has now proven effective for rescuing girls and prosecuting criminals.
Thank you for the part you played in this first important year. Please continue to stand with us as we gain momentum in our fight to save our children. With your help, we hope that the Bay Area will someday hold the promise of a free childhood for all children who call it home.
With gratitude,
Scott Vermeer,
CEO Special Operations
VISION
That every child is free to be a child.
MISSION
To keep kids safe from sex traf ckers in the Bay Area.
PURPOSE
To rescue young victims, to get them the help they need, and to send traf ck- ers to prison.
THE PROBLEM
FBI studies indicate that the San Francisco Bay Area is one of the largest hubs of sex trafficking in the United States. Nearly half a million children go missing each year in our country most presumed to be victims of sex trafficking. Here, in our community, children are commodities in the fastest-growing business of organized crime in the world. Unlike drugs, a child can be sold over and over again.
All youth are vulnerable to sex traffickers, but those who have already endured trauma foster children or those running from abusive homes become especially easy prey. Many are not reported missing or are reported as “runaways,” meaning there is no urgent search to nd them. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, less than 1% of these children are rescued. The few who are seldom testify against their perpetrators for fear of retribution. Without the victim’s testimony, the perpetrator often remains free to traumatize and ruin the lives of other innocent girls.
Organizations, such as the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Polaris, provide hundreds of thousands of “tips” to law enforcement each year. Unfortunately, these time-sensitive tips often land and stay in file folders as our nation’s law enforcement is vastly underfunded and generally reacts to crimes in progress rather than proactively searching for a crime.
THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS SOLUTION
Our organization was born from an unmet need in our community the need for boots-on-the-ground forces to join the fight to save children from sex trafficking. Our team of private investigators and retired law enforcement of officers know how to find both victims and perpetrators. Because we are a victim-centered charitable organization and NOT law enforcement it is often easier for community members working with trauma victims to reach out to us for help.
Once a child is rescued, we work with partners to provide direct assistance to the victims emergency housing, financial assistance, legal help any support they need to begin healing. When victims feel safe and are empowered to testify, traffickers go to prison. The result is a safer community for us all.
SPECIAL OPERATIONS IN ACTION
“There are no words. I can’t thank you enough for finding my daughter.”
MOTHER OF A MISSING 15-YEAR OLD
TOGETHER WE CAN BRING CHILDHOOD BACK TO CHILDREN
Thank you to our Special Operations Family:
• Our donors, sponsors, partners, community supporters, and law enforcement.
• Our amazing Board of Directors.
• The volunteers who give so much time to help solve cases, rescue girls, spread the word and fun-
draise.
• Our survivors, who inspire us with their resilience, strength and determination.
To make a gift, please visit our website http://www.wesavegirls.org. If possible, please check if your employer will match your gift.
SPECIALOPERATIONS
Founded in 2017, Special Operations is a non-pro t dedicated to keeping kids safe from sex traf ck-
ers in the San Francisco Bay Area. The result is a safer community for us all.
Please donate so we can hire more private investigators and provide direct assistance to young victims.
Please attend our golf tournament and gala October 21, 2019! Register here.
Please sign up for our newsletters and help us spread the word through social media.
Together, we can stop sex trafficking of kids.