January 5, 2015

Human trafficking is a repugnant crime impacting communities across America. Since the passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in October, 2000, law enforcement, victim service providers and communities have developed new approaches to identify and support victims and prosecute traffickers.

No one agency, acting alone, can address this crime. Traffickers can be a part of a violent gang, a sophisticated international network, an isolated cultural group, an opportunistic individual or the family members of the victim. This diversity requires a variety of investigative techniques to address the diverse manifestations of this crime. Stopping human trafficking requires a multi-disciplinary team who can provide specialized services.

The Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime recently released two new resources to assist in combatting human trafficking: the Human Trafficking Task Force e-Guide and the new human trafficking website.

Co-written by victim service providers, civil attorneys, law enforcement and prosecutors, the e-Guide is evidence-based and case-driven. It is a resource to support established human trafficking task forces and provide guidance to agencies that are forming task forces. Its purpose is to assist in the development and day to day operations of an anti-human trafficking task force and provide fundamental guidance for effective task force operations.

Noted by Attorney General Holder, the e-Guide, “gives law enforcement and victim service providers the information and insights they need to respond effectively to crimes involving forced sex and labor. This updated resource will help strengthen anti-human trafficking task forces now in operation across the country.”

The new human trafficking website provides to a range of resources for law enforcement, service providers, survivors and allied professionals – a centralized location with a broad range of information on human trafficking. A new series of training videos scheduled for release in the coming year will also be featured on this website.

These new evidence-based and case-driven resources provide task force members across the country with comprehensive survivor support information as well as substantial details on building a successful human trafficking case.

Traffickers rob their victims of their freedom, their income, their communities and their dreams. We can act to hold the traffickers accountable, stop the victimization and support the survivors.

For more information visit https://www.ovcttac.gov/taskforceguide/eguide/ or http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/humantrafficking/.