Anna is a 25-year-old single mother of three who got a job as a housekeeper at a local hotel. At first, things were great, but soon her boss asked her to work late and take on additional services with no extra pay. As money got tighter, the manager offered her a room for her family in the hotel. Instead of paying rent, she was forced to work 24/7, and the manager began making sexual advances. A family staying at the hotel who befriended Anna’s kids soon noticed the abuse and reported the incident to police.

To help law enforcement, businesses, stakeholders, and the public recognize and respond to trafficking of persons like Anna, the Institute for Intergovernmental Research (IIR) and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) developed Partnerships to Address Labor Trafficking. This initiative provides toolkits for quick reference to help in responding to and addressing labor trafficking and providing services to victims, as well as resources to aid law enforcement in their investigations of suspected trafficking. Since it was launched in 2019, the program has expanded its offerings to include 11 videos in Spanish and English, infographics, webinars, and other resources to increase efforts to stop labor trafficking in the United States.

The short, comprehensive videos, which range from one to four minutes long, provide valuable insights into labor trafficking, including victim characteristics, red-flag indicators for trafficking, agencies that provide assistance on labor trafficking, the survivor’s perspective, and assistance for victims. For law enforcement, prosecutors, and the public, they provide tips on how to address the problem through a multidisciplinary approach. As an example, one video identifies the indicators of workers who may be in danger of trafficking. These indicators include the following:

• Unexplained injuries on the job
• Poor working conditions or long working hours, with little or no pay
• A debt that must be paid off through money or work
• Lack of identification documents, often held by an employer
• Lack of knowledge of their location
• A sense of disorientation
• Movements and communications controlled by another
• Transportation provided to and from the work location

In addition to federal, state, county, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies, the series suggests other public and private entities that may be enlisted to assist in identifying labor traffickers. There are five main barriers that must be overcome for labor trafficking to occur, and help can be found at every stage. Here is a list of the barriers and affiliated agencies and groups that can be enlisted to help combat trafficking:

1. Identity documentation (U.S. Department of Labor, health care agencies, immigration attorneys)
2. Border crossings (travel and transportation agencies, port authorities)
3. Employment (job placement, code enforcement, worksite regulatory enforcement)
4. Housing (housing authorities, cable and internet installers, fire departments, probation and parole, health department)
5. Financial flows (Internal Revenue Service, banks, gaming commissions, mortgage companies, money wiring services)

The COPS Office Labor Trafficking website has also added infographics and webinars to raise awareness about the issue and highlight new trends among law enforcement, prosecutors, social service agencies, and the public. One infographic shows the life cycle of labor trafficking from recruitment and work to discovery, investigations, and justice. Two new webinars are available, including Emerging and Promising Practices in Communications Regarding Labor Trafficking, which examines several cases to identify key components for a successful labor trafficking investigation, and Emerging Trends in Labor Trafficking Cases, with leading experts in service providers, law, and social work discussing best practices, approaches to avoid, and strategies for survivor success after prosecution.

For more information on labor trafficking, visit the COPS Office Labor Trafficking site

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