Santa Rosa police shut down several illicit massage businesses in Sonoma County

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KGO) -- A sweeping ten-month investigation led to arrests this week as Santa Rosa police target massage businesses.

The Santa Rosa Police Department arrested three people associated with at least five illicit massage parlors in both Santa Rosa and Petaluma. At least three of these businesses were shut down when ABC7 News stopped by on Wednesday.

Police say women working at these businesses reported exploitative practices and sought officers' help to leave.

Santa Rosa Mayor Mark Stapp says the city has taken a proactive approach to stop human trafficking and passed new ordinances to stop it over the past year.

MORE: Santa Clara County DA's office busts alleged Bay Area sex trafficking ring

"It seems to be working. We have every expectation that we're going to be able to stamp this out in our city," Stapp said.

SRPD says it's committed to helping the victims of human trafficking every day.

In this case, the department says it's working closely with the survivor support network Verity.

Verity Executive Director Rebecca Fein says that a partnership with law enforcement is critical to helping survivors take steps toward recovery.

"For all survivors of human trafficking, having a support person who can help them navigate services and get them the support that they need at that time is so critical," Fein said.

Fein told ABC7 News her organization deals with hundreds of human trafficking victims every year in Sonoma County.

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She says although many might not think so, it's actually much more common than most people believe.

"There's a real lack of understanding of what human trafficking is and what it can look like, and I think there's a real Hollywood effect around it," Fein said.

That's one reason Mayor Stapp says the city is committed to continuing to stop human trafficking as much as possible.

He says Santa Rosa is also working with other Bay Area cities to make sure illicit businesses like these don't pop up other places.

"These businesses are all cash-based," Stapp said. "They're easy to spin up and they're easy to move. So even when Santa Rosa shuts them down, there's every likelihood that they're going to move to a city near us."

SRPD says despite the arrests Tuesday, their investigation remains ongoing.