Human trafficking remains a hidden crime, often under-reported to authorities. The Milwaukee Police Department is trying to change that. As part of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month , members of the department's Human Trafficking Task Force are speaking out to dispel myths about trafficking and encourage people to come forward.
The task force recently investigated a high-profile case that resulted in charges against a half-dozen people, including a former public defender , retired municipal judge, investment banker and firefighter. The Police Department investigated 35 cases of human trafficking in each of the past two years, according to department data. So far this year, three human trafficking cases have been reported. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel interviewed Sgt.
Human trafficking is typically portrayed in films and TV shows as a stranger abduction. In reality, traffickers often offer those who are vulnerable β particularly youth β attention, affection and material help, like cell phones, money or housing. A trafficker builds that relationship and then exploits it, the experts said. It's love," Flores said. They're looking for that attention. A report from the Medical College of Wisconsin found many sex trafficking victims in Milwaukee had a history of being reported missing from group homes.
Milwaukee has a high concentration of group homes. Youth placed in those settings often have previous trauma. Oh, you know, it's raining, it's cold. You want to hop in? You want to smoke some weed? The trafficker can promise something like a cell phone or ride back to the community where the youth is from, said Walker, another detective on the task force.
The task force members are planning to meet with group home owners this year to discuss requirements for reporting youth missing and other potential solutions to keep kids safe.
