20 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • JUNE 2021
BUILDING RESILIENCY
STRONGER POST-PANDEMIC LIFE
BY RICH SCHAFFER
Babylon Town Supervisor
This past year has struck the state of
New York and the Town of Babylon in
unimaginable and horrific ways. Lives
have been taken, our day-to-day jobs
have been interrupted, and many people
have lost a sense of stability.
The mental health of those in New
York and across the nation has been
strained by this pandemic and we are
all feeling a loss of control. In a survey
conducted by the American Psychological
Association, an overwhelming
78 percent of American adults believe
the pandemic to be a major source of
stress in their lives.
We have seen our neighbors, our
friends, our families, and even ourselves,
experiencing symptoms of
anxiety and/or depression, and we all
want to find a way to assist in coping
with the world surrounding us.
For years, I have struggled with anxiety,
depression, and panic attacks
myself. There are days when I have
experienced racing thoughts, a lack
of appetite, absence of sleep, and the
inability to leave my home. I know that
others experience these same symptoms
as well as additional symptoms
on a greater scale.
As the supervisor of Babylon, I am
not expected to allow my anxiety and
depression to impact my day-to-day
affairs and yet it has. I realized that I
could not keep this to myself. In order
to not only help myself, but to have the
ability to provide for my constituents,
I had to learn to build resiliency and
openly communicate about the mental
health struggles I am facing.
I know that I do not struggle alone.
For the health of Babylon’s citizens, I
have partnered with TLC Virtual Resiliency
(TLC-VR). TLC-VR specializes
in building resiliency and wellness
through a social support network
and customized, virtual workshops,
and helps to prepare individuals to
cope with stressful life events. TLCVR
will give the residents of Babylon
the opportunity to grow and adapt
to adversity, anxiety, and everyday
stresses that people may face in both
their personal and professional lives.
As the world is reopening in large
part because the CDC loosened face
mask requirements for vaccinated
people, adults and children who were
abruptly thrown into a new lifestyle
last year, without any mental or emotional
buffers, are now starting to
navigate a new world. Now more than
ever, there is a need for building resiliency
across the Town of Babylon. We
are each encountering daily obstacles
throughout the pandemic and need to
assist one another in alleviating stress
and anxiety.
For those learning to grapple with the
pressures of this newfound world, my
office is always open.
Please know that I am here for you. I
am here for my friends, my colleagues,
and of course, my constituents. I am
accessible to you at all hours and will
work tirelessly to ensure your safety
and health during these times.
Together we will not back down from
speaking about mental health. We will
check in on our neighbors, and we will
build resiliency throughout our community
of the Town of Babylon.
POINT OF VIEW
“Now more than ever, there is a need for building
resiliency.”
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
BEWARE ALBANY REFORMS
BY ERROL D. TOULON JR.
Suffolk County Sheriff
Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
may be the household names associated
with human trafficking, but exchanging
sex for money is common throughout
New York State and beyond. It is estimated
that up to 20 percent of American
men will purchase sex during their
lifetime; roughly half think that prostitution
should be legalized in the U.S.
Sex buyers often justify their actions by
claiming there is no harm caused by the
commercialization of sex if it is between
consenting adults.
Studies refute this. Many sex workers
report personal histories of domestic
violence and child sex abuse and suffer
from trauma, depression and other mental
illnesses. Unfortunately, most people
are unaware that many sex workers are
controlled by human traffickers. The
money exchanged enriches organized
crime, and those for hire are ensnared
into this dehumanizing practice through
threats of violence and addictive drugs.
Sadly, many victims receive only
intervention services after entering
the criminal justice system. In 2018, I
started the Sheriff’s Anti-Trafficking
Initiative (SATI), the first unit of its
kind in a county jail focused on identifying
victims, connecting them with
services, and building cases against
traffickers. The unit has conducted
more than 2,300 inmate interviews,
identifiying 198 human trafficking
victims and 129 perpetrators. This has
led to more than 500 victim referrals
for services.
SATI uses comprehensive screening to
identify and aid victims. Identified victims
are referred to SATI investigators,
who educate them about trafficking.
As the victims’ comfort level evolves,
officers can bring in social service and
mental health workers to delve deeply
the effects of victimization.
Albany lawmakers are considering
measures to decriminalize the sex
trade. One of two so-called justice reform
bills making their way through
the New York State Senate and Assembly
is the Full Decriminalization Model,
which would eliminate the arrest or
prosecution of sex trade buyers and
sellers. This would legalize brothel
owners and managers, escort service
owners, sex buyers and sex tourism
operators. A counter bill, the Equality
Model, would decriminalize working in
the sex trade while continuing to arrest
pimps, brothel owners and managers,
escort service owners, sex buyers,
and sex tourism operators. Since most
people arrested for prostitution are
trafficking victims, this would give law
enforcement the ability to dismantle
those enriched by the trade, and intervene
on behalf of victims.
I urge lawmakers to consider the implications
of such changes to state law,
which must better protect sexual exploitation
victims and provide mental
health treatment to human trafficking
victims. Both would likely increase the
demand for sex services, leading New
York to become a travel destination for
people who engage in the practice. This
could increase demand in child sex trafficking
because of greater demand for
sex workers. Criminal networks would
fill that demand by luring younger victims
into the trade.
Decriminalization, while well intentioned,
does more harm than good.
“Decriminalization, while well intentioned, does more
harm than good.”
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
