Homeland Security Investigations Kansas City is seeking help from the public as it kicks off an annual campaign with other law enforcement agencies to combat human trafficking.
According to a Jan. 4 U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement news release, HIS Kansas City, a leader in the fight against human trafficking, works with other law enforcement entities each January to educate the public about human trafficking, including what to look for and how to report it.
“Human trafficking is likely happening in your neighborhood and unfortunately members of the community who would typically offer respite to someone being victimized, may not because they are simply unaware that it’s happening,” Taekuk Cho, HSI Kansas City acting special agent in charge, said in the news release. “That is one of the many reasons this yearly campaign is so important. We at HSI Kansas City want to ensure that the public knows the indicators of human trafficking and how to report it.”
Cho added the annual campaign is key to helping HIS Kansas City continue to focus on its objecting of aggressively fighting human trafficking, and he said the office wants to make sure the public is educated on the signs of human trafficking and how to alert authorities, according to the release.
Moreover, Cho noted the office works to combat human trafficking in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska, the release reported.
The fight against human trafficking is a coordinated effort that relies heavily upon coordination between authorities, the public and people who are in positions of trust to potential trafficking victims, Cho said, according to the release.
