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Law enforcement / justice stories you may have missed: Human Trafficking 101 for Law Enforcement; Law Enforcement Response to Human Trafficking and the Implications for Victims: Current Practices and Lessons Learned

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Human Trafficking 101 for Law Enforcement

This is a brief article that could serve as the absolute basics a officer should be able to recite.

Link to article: Human Trafficking 101 for Law Enforcement.

The leaders of the United States have made it clear that the right to be from slavery and involuntary servitude is guaranteed to all who choose to live in the United States. In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln formalized those freedoms into law with the Emancipation Proclamation. However, nearly 150 years later, slavery still exists in the United States in the form of human trafficking. Most recently, the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) was enacted and reauthorized with the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2013 to protect the victims of modern-day slavery and ensure the just and effective punishment of traffickers. The secretive nature of human trafficking makes it nearly impossible to collect accurate data on the number of victims in the United States, yet alone find and free them.

Types of Human Trafficking

The TVPA defines the following two severe forms of trafficking:

  1.  in which a commercial sex act, defined in the TVPA as “any sex act on account of which anything of value is given to or received by any person” is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age.
  2. , which is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, , or slavery.3

Sex trafficking can occur within the context of street prostitution, brothels, escort services, massage parlors, and child sex tourism. Sex trafficking during major sporting events, such as the 2014 NCAA Final Four basketball tournament, has become a very profitable criminal venture that has resulted in the development of specialized task forces to address the problem.

Labor trafficking can occur in any environment where persons are needed to perform work, including but not limited to cleaning services, food production, construction, farm labor (both field and livestock management), any form of manufacturing, retail sales, and transportation services. Labor trafficking in environments such as strip or similar dance clubs, the production of pornographic videos, and massage parlors may be a combination of both labor and sex trafficking if commercial sex acts are involved. Labor trafficking may also occur in private residences, where victims are forced to perform as domestic servants or care for children or elderly residents.

Read the rest of the story through the original story link, above.

Law Enforcement Response to Human Trafficking and the Implications for Victims: Current Practices and Lessons Learned

Link to article: Law Enforcement Response to Human Trafficking and the Implications for Victims: Current Practices and Lessons Learned

Human trafficking not only crosses national and international borders, but also surfaces at the street level. Local law enforcement agencies often are the first to come into contact with this covert crime. As first responders, law enforcement agencies play a critical role in identifying and responding to human trafficking cases. However, little is known about how law enforcement agencies are organizing their response to human trafficking, or the capabilities of law enforcement to respond to the needs of trafficking victims.

Read the rest of the story through the original story link, above.

Stopping Human Trafficking on the Law Enforcement Front Lines

Link to article: Stopping Human Trafficking on the Law Enforcement Front Lines

It is time to stop modern-day slavery! No man, woman or child should be forced, coerced or compelled to engage in sexual activity for the financial benefit of another person. In combating this heinous crime, we are challenged with the many overwhelming misconceptions surrounding this crime defined as human trafficking. In my opinion, one of the most concerning and dangerous misconceptions is that it doesn't happen here. Contrary to the belief of many, human trafficking is happening on a daily basis right here in the United States. The Department of Defense has characterized human trafficking as the second-most profitable and fastest-growing criminal enterprise with a child being sold and commercially raped every 30 seconds. Last year, human sex traffickers made an estimated $99 billion tax-free. United States citizens are the biggest consumers of child pornography. It is time to open our eyes and be a part of the solution.

Read the rest of the story through the original story link, above.

 
Human Trafficking training course: Human Trafficking Essentials Online Certificate Human Trafficking Course
Human Trafficking Essentials

ABOUT

PBJ Learning is a leading provider of human trafficking training, focusing on and prevention education. Their interactive Human Trafficking Essentials is used worldwide to educate professionals and individuals how to recognize human trafficking and how to respond to potential victims. Learn on any web browser (even your mobile phone) at any time.

More stories like this can be found in your PBJ Learning Knowledge Vault.

 

This “Eyes on Trafficking” story is reprinted from its original online location.

ABOUT PBJ LEARNING

PBJ Learning is a leading provider of online human trafficking training, focusing on awareness and prevention education. Their interactive Human Trafficking Essentials online course is used worldwide to educate professionals and individuals how to recognize human trafficking and how to respond to potential victims. Learn on any web browser (even your mobile phone) at any time.

More stories like this can be found in your PBJ Learning Knowledge Vault.