In addition to addressing gangs, juvenile crime and runaways, the Renton Police Department reports it has identified 30 illicit massage parlors.
These were among the hot-button crime topics Nov. 18 at the Renton Public Safety Committee meeting.
The meeting featured two presentations covering the RPD’s response to human trafficking along with an update on the graffiti abatement program and its response. RPD Detective Meg Braun’s presentation covered runaways, illicit massage parlors, storefront brothels, proactive investigations, case studies and trends.
Renton City Councilmember and Public Safety Committee chair Carmen Rivera requested these topics, and she said one way to combat these problems is through increased social services for youth.
Rivera said when the committee met about the interagency agreement between Washington state’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and RPD, she wanted to go more in-depth about what the police department has accomplished and what it still hopes to accomplish.
Rivera, who has a background in criminal justice, said she wanted the public to know what was happening with human trafficking along the Interstate 5 corridor, and she doesn’t think people generally know how prevalent sex trafficking is in Renton.
Regarding illicit massage parlors, the presentation said that 30 illicit massage parlors had been identified in Renton. The presentation said investigations are complicated, and victims are unlikely to cooperate due to fears of deportation and repercussions in their home country. But an emphasis on addressing the massage parlors is scheduled for early 2025. There has been a decrease in the age of those promoting trafficking, including juveniles, as well as an increase in males being trafficked, and sex buyers are becoming increasingly savvy to police tactics, according to the presentation.
Rivera said the erasure of sex trafficking and illicit massage parlors is the ultimate goal, but she wants to reach the juveniles before they ever get involved by having stronger social services for youth. Rivera said she wants to see social services that provide holistic and exhaustive services to youth and families in need.
“We need a stronger youth social service infrastructure, places for kids to go, workforce development, apprenticeship, professional development opportunities and for them to be productive to keep out of trouble,” Rivera said. “I think it’s ‘idle hands are like the devil’s playground,’ or whatever that quote is, but I think coming out of pandemic, we lost a lot of those resources and services for our youth.”
According to the presentation, runaways are at a higher risk of trafficking, and the risk increases if the runaway is a victim of sexual assault. Comparing stats, in 2023, there were 106 runaways reported, and as of Nov. 5, 2024, there have been 89 runaway or missing children reported.
According to the presentation, RPD tracks the runaways. When a child is a runaway, detectives will be informed, and they will check commercial sex websites for them and reach out to task forces to assist with locating missing youth. Rivera said the way RPD collaborates with other task forces to try and get a handle on these threats to the community is “beautiful.” She said the ability to have clear communication is very effective.
The other presentation at the Nov. 18 meeting was the graffiti abatement and response presentation. The graffiti in Renton is tied to gangs, and the gangs have become more prevalent, according to the presentation. Rivera said she learned in this presentation that Renton is number one in Washington state in retrieving ghost guns. She added that if people see graffiti, they can report it on the Renton Responds app so RPD can know how rampant an area is for graffiti.
