California Department of Justice Trained By California Massage Therapy Council to Curtail Illicit Massage 'Parlors' Involved In Human Trafficking

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Department of Justice (DOJ) and other Southern California law enforcement officials took part yesterday in a training provided by the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC). CAMTC has been providing specialized training in an effort to assist law enforcement and local governments in meeting their duty to maintain the highest safety in massage establishments.

The DOJ is the latest agency to have officials undergo CAMTC training. The two-hour session focused on a variety of topics, ranging from general information sharing between organizations to the types of evidence CAMTC uses to take disciplinary action, including suspension and revocation. The training sessions strengthen information sharing between CAMTC, law enforcement agencies, and code enforcement officers and provide valuable information on best practices that law enforcement agencies can use to save time and money, while successfully shutting down criminal enterprises.

After officers receive the training, which has been offered for the last two years, they are armed with detailed knowledge about how to work with CAMTC to take stronger enforcement action and craft more focused policies in the fight against illicit massage parlors.

"CAMTC is pleased to provide this training to law enforcement agencies across the state," said Rick McElroy, director of CAMTC's Professional Standards Division. "We believe communication and information sharing are critical components in ensuring public safety by working together to close illicit 'massage parlors.' As the public demand for accessible therapeutic massage increases, it is essential that we collaborate with all stakeholders to weed out the bad apples."

The mission of California Massage Therapy Council (a private public benefits corporation) is to protect the public by certifying massage professionals in California that meet the requirements in the law, and approving massage programs that meet the minimum standards for training and curriculum.

The training was for the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, which the DOJ leads, but the Task Force sponsored for the Southern California Regional Human Trafficking Task Forces, which include Task Forces from San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles. 

Contact:
Regina Wilson 951-823-7659                

SOURCE California Massage Therapy Council