September 3, 2015 VO LUM E 1 1 | IS S UE 1 4
ARVADA
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Library tax increase to be on ballot
ALL IN GOOD FUN
Jeffco libraries say funding needed to restore services and upgrade By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Jefferson County residents can help extend Jeffco public library hours, pay for more books and materials, update Internet access and technology and, essentially, secure the future of the the county’s library system. To do that, library officials say, Jefferson County residents need to approve an increase in the library’s mill levy to a maximum of 4.5 mills from 3.5 mills. That Library employees are not allowed to means Jeffco advocate for a mill levy increase, but a homeownvolunteer campaign committee has been ers would organized to support the initiative. To pay about 67 learn more, visit www.yesforjeffcolibrarcents more ies.com. for every $100,000 of home value, said the libraries’ executive director, Pam Nissler. “It has become clear to us that we can no longer deliver 21st-century library services on a 20th-century budget,” said Ray Elliott, chairman of the Library Board of Trustees, in a media release. The board recommended the increase, the first since 1986. The Jefferson County Public Library network has more registered card holders than Douglas and Arapahoe counties, said Rebecca Winning, the libraries’ director of communications. And Jeffco libraries wants to offer its patrons the same level of services as neighboring county libraries. Marketplace studies of Jeffco libraries and surrounding counties indicated Jeffco libraries “weren’t able to provide the needs and level of services people desire,” said Rebecca Winning, the libraries’ communications director. The library interviewed and surveyed more than 5,000
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Four-year-old K.W. scampers up a twisty ladder, on his journey to the top of the firefighter-themed playground in Arvada. After going down the three-story slide, he proclaimed that he wasn’t scared at all. See the full story about area playgrounds on Page 10. Photo by Glenn Wallace
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‘These are kids … they are victims’ Jeffco program works to prevent sex trafficking of children
HIGH-RISK BEHAVIORS
By Crystal Anderson canderson@coloradocommunitymedia.com
The following indicate a youth at higher risk for sex trafficking:
• Branding tattoos, such as a dollar sign, a male’s name or a barcode
• Runs away from home three or more times a year
• Commission of survival crimes: theft, drug use, substance abuse
• Gone for more than 30 days at a time
• Truancy
• Runs away at least once by age 12
• Possession of unaffordable new and expensive items
At 15, some children celebrate quinceañeras. Some start learning to drive. Others are tackling sophomore year. But in Jefferson County, for at least 65 of those 15-year-olds, it was another year enslaved in sex trafficking. “These are kids … they are victims,” said Don Moseley, executive director of Ralston House, an Arvada-based nonprofit that works with abused children. The growing spotlight on sex trafficking of children has prompted Ralston House to join forces with the Colorado First Judicial District’s human trafficking division, which is spearheading a program to help children and put an end to this crime. “We are going to tackle this and do something to identify this,” said Katy Kurtz, a lead prosecutor with the First Judicial District.
• Self-disclosure of prostitution activity • Caught in a known area with an unrelated male
In 2014, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s office and Ralston House launched the new program within the division to help identify children at risk for sex trafficking or already involved in the industry, help investigate cases and pursue prosecution of perpetrators. The program is run by a four-person team made up of a forensic interviewer, an
• Illicit online profiles on the Meet Me or Back Page websites
investigator, a case worker and a prosecutor. They research tips from a variety of sources — including parents, law enforcement and human services case workers — and focus on a four-pronged model of prevention, protection, prosecution and partnerships. “These are a different type of interview,” Moseley said. “These kids can often
very much want to protect the person who may be exploiting them because they don’t see them as an exploiter but a protector, a boyfriend — someone who took them off the streets.” Once notified of a tip, Lauri VanderMeulen, a forensic interviewer at Ralston House, works to identify children and asks them to come in for an interview. She does so in a comfortable setting and hopes to gain their trust, which she considers a success in itself. “For Don to dedicate their resources — it’s huge for us,” Kurtz said of Ralston House’s commitment. “We can breathe and actually do this right.” VanderMeulen and the team meet monthly to review the list of high-risk children, discuss cases, evaluate next steps and seek resources to help children find additional help. One of the program’s goals is to educate the public about the issue through community trainings, legislative discussions Victims continues on Page 15