Lake County vigil raises awareness about human trafficking; ‘We need all hands on deck’

People filled the Ray Bradbury Room of the Waukegan Public Library on a cold Monday night to show awareness and support at a Human Trafficking Awareness Candle Vigil event.

The vigil included a collective statement as part of an acknowledgment of victims and survivors of human trafficking in a gesture timed with January's Human Trafficking Awareness Month.

Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart and Pat Davenport of Mundelein, chief executive officer of A Safe Place, opened the program.

“We need all hands on deck,” Rinehart said. “We're not only talking about sex offenses or sex trafficking, but also labor trafficking; and we know that labor trafficking is also very hidden in a lot of our underserved communities.

“We have to really invest a lot of resources,” he said.

Davenport expressed optimism that Lake County providers are achieving progressive prevention and acute response.

“I am hopeful,” she told the Lake County News-Sun. “The support that exists around this whole issue of human trafficking is such that I think we can create change over time.

“It takes time,” Davenport said. “It won't happen tomorrow.”

Vigil co-organizers Shea Needham, human trafficking task force coordinator for the Lake County state's attorney's office, and Jessica Lomelin, director of human trafficking collaborative services for A Safe Place, are co-chairs of the Lake County Coalition Against Human Trafficking.

“We want to make sure that the community, other agencies, other individuals are coming together to work together,” Lomelin said, referring to human trafficking identification which is, “very important because it's happening everywhere.

“It's happening here in our own communities,” she said.

The Lake County Coalition Against Human Trafficking was founded in 2017 by a number of service providers working with the state's attorney's office, Needham said.

“The purpose was to create prevention, awareness and community outreach in the community because the aspect of human trafficking wasn't necessarily recognized in it as a problem, even though it was happening for as long as we can imagine, and it still is,” Needham said.

A year ago, county and federal officials in a news conference announced the formation of a task force directed at curbing sex and labor trafficking in Lake County.

The Lake County Human Trafficking Task Force is directed by the state's attorney's office and is a collaboration among prosecutors, law enforcement agencies and victim service providers.

The task force was funded by a Department of Justice grant to the state's attorney's office and A Safe Place as a victim-service organization.

The Lake County Human Trafficking Task Force works in partnership with the Lake County Coalition Against Human Trafficking to connect investigators, prosecutors, victim service providers, and the community in a joint mission to end trafficking in the county.

“The difference between the task force and the coalition is the coalition is a community-based group that focuses on that more community prevention and awareness; while the task force focuses more on the victim's service provider side of it, the legal side of it, as well as the investigation and the prosecution side,” Needham said.

“With both the coalition and the task force, we're actually meeting that full circle of services for victims,” Needham said.

Vigil attendees were given flicker flame candles to illuminate. The community statement was shared and read aloud.

Mary Ross-Cunningham, Lake County Board vice chair, and state Sen. Adriane Johnson, D-Buffalo Grove, were among elected officials in attendance.

“January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and so anytime that you can put a spotlight on this issue, it's important for people to understand what's going on with human trafficking,” Johnson said.

“Unfortunately, we lose a lot of young women and girls every day,” she continued. “A number of them fall between the cracks, so it is important for community members to be educated to understand what's important and to mobilize and make a difference, save lives.”

Cunningham wants to empower people to speak up. Alerts by community members could be notifications of possible crimes to change makers or police if people see illegal activity, or signs of abuse suggestive of human trafficking.

“If you see something, say something,” she said.

Christine Lensing of Waukegan attended the vigil with her children Jazmine, 8, a third grader, Audrey, 7, a first grader, and Desmond, 5, a preschooler.

“I just need my kids to be aware of everything that's going on in the world, and for me to also have resources to ensure that if they're ever in danger, I know how to spot it,” Lensing said. “If their friends are in danger, they can be helped.”

About human trafficking, she said, “It's the hidden crime that's going on, and the more we're aware of it, the better we can help. Even with the work industries … people are trafficked, promised the American Dream and they get here and they're indentured servants or practically (slaves).

“It's happening more than we thought it was,” Lensing said.