Editorial: Yes, human trafficking happens in our community; let's be vigilant

Editor's note: January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. This editorial contains information originally published in 2021 and also earlier this month.

The interstate that cuts through Tyler and other cities in the region has brought economic development, easy access to Louisiana to the east and Dallas to the west and likely innumerable other benefits.

Among the lesser known — or discussed — effects of our city's proximity to Interstate 20 is the problem of human trafficking. It's an ugly reality, and one many of us might rather not think about.

But trafficking is happening in our communities, whether we are aware of it or not.

“Every year millions of men, women, and children are trafficked worldwide,” said Becky Cunio, executive director of local nonprofit For the Silent, “including right here in East Texas.”

With January recognized as Human Trafficking Month, many organizations are speaking out to continue the spread of awareness, push for prevention and educate the public the realities and horrors of human trafficking.

“Many myths and misconceptions exist,” Cunio said. “Recognizing key indicators of human trafficking is the first step in identifying victims and can help save a life.”

Just ask FBI Special Agent Kimberly Granich, a Longview native, who spoke to the Zonta Club of Longview in April 2021.

Granich's goal was to dispel myths and erase preconceived ideas about human trafficking. Among those: Most cases involve victims kidnapped by strangers, and some communities simply are immune to such crimes.

Granich was blunt: “I saw this all the time when I would go to the nicer parts of town where I was from, the nicer city, the more affluent. I would hear, ‘It does not happen here, it does not happen at our Christian private school.' That's just simply not true. It can happen anywhere, and it does happen everywhere.”

She also pointed out that human trafficking doesn't have to be sexual in nature, and the cages and chains that imprison victims can simply be fear. Case in point: Granich told the story of a woman who was trafficked for more than a year, sent out of state to work and forced to send money back to the perpetrator, who was holding her 3-year-old child as a type of ransom.

And as far as the faces you see when you picture a trafficker and victim, let that go. Granich said there's no “mold” for either. Victims can be any age and any gender, while their traffickers could be a man or woman.

Yet another side to trafficking is a victim who doesn't want to be saved. Yes, Granich said it happens. That's because, sadly, in some cases, traffickers are offering their victims better lives and situations than they were taken from, she said.

“A pimp can make them feel wanted, desired,” she said.

So what can community members do? Granich encouraged parents to talk to their children about the issue of exploitation — a hard conversation, for sure, but an important one.

And FBI Victim Specialist Caitlyn Neff of Tyler, who also spoke during the presentation, offered simple advice: Those who suspect they have seen human trafficking should contact local authorities.

According to the researchers at the University of Texas School of Social Work, at any given time, an estimated 313,000 people are being trafficked in the state of Texas.

That includes 79,000 children and youth who are victims of sex trafficking and 23,400 adults who are victims of labor trafficking.

“We all have a responsibility to help protect Texas children from exploitation and to break this cycle,” Cunio said.

Don't be fooled. The villains who traverse our community east and west on I-20 might be difficult to recognize, but they're all too real, and vigilance is our main weapon when it comes to preventing human trafficking here.

If you suspect someone is a trafficking victim, contact local authorities, the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888 or text “BeFree” to 233733.