re-emergence of human trafficking

I have never taken a job with a focus on human trafficking. However, this issue has emerged in every endeavor I have been a part of in the past seven years. To me, that speaks to the prevalence of this issue.

I have been writing on this blog about human trafficking since 2008. You can read those posts: here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. It is mentioned many more times, but these are the posts dedicated specifically to the topic.

In November I returned to America. Though I know that America is a destination point for humans that are trafficked and I am well aware that this is a global issue - I didn't expect to run in to it. Then BAM! There it was again, rearing it's ugly head.

Human trafficking appeared almost immediately when I started volunteering for the Community Foundation health research project. Someone suggested I include it in the report. I hadn't considered the possibility. I started asking around and the results were astounding. Yes, human trafficking was an issue of concern - even in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

At one interview I had an undergraduate intern with me. The interview subject worked for an organization helping individuals overcome substance abuse. Near the end of our interview I asked the question about human trafficking. Oh, the stories they had to tell! When we got back in the car, the intern was in shock. I told her I felt like I had robbed her of some innocence, simply by having her present during those graphic descriptions. She mentioned it for weeks.

The 2010 global Trafficking in Persons report states the need in the United States for education of law enforcement - how to recognize and address the problem. Given one local news story, I agree with that recommendation. One interviewee told me a horrible story of police behaving badly. Apparently, in an effort to crack down on prostitution local detectives were participating in sex acts with the accused. When asked why they behaved in such a manner, the detectives said the sex acts were necessary because the ladies "don't speak much English." The obvious question, at least in my mind, is - where did these girls come from? It would seem to me they were victimized multiple times - trafficked, sexually exploited, and then treated as criminals. I am not making this up, you can read this story in the Washington Post.

After I was made aware of the issue locally, I also learned that Virginia was forming an anti-trafficking task force. Good move. But, they were limiting the majority of activities to the big city of Richmond. That is unfortunate.

I have also learned that not all cops behave badly (thankfully!). In my new job I was told a story of an officer who rescued some girls from a brothel, and rather then prosecute them he worked to find them a safe place to stay. He enlisted the help of a faith-based youth residential facility. That facility has now taken on this issue as one of their own.

When discussions began with this youth facility and they mentioned human trafficking as one of their focus services, I shouldn't have been surprised. It seems to come up so often I should expect it by now. But, I didn't. The issue of human trafficking had, once again, found it's way in to my work.

just Sheri, beginning to think this is more than coincidence

P.S. One of the largest, and most effective, organizations addressing this issue right now is Polaris Project. Click on their logo to learn more about their work.