The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) annual report on its efforts to train personnel in identifying signs of human trafficking reveals a significant increase in partnerships compared to the previous year. The Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT) Annual Report disclosed that 275,000 government officials were trained, including law enforcement partners, nonprofit organizations, and aviation and transportation personnel.
According to a DHS news release, these personnel were trained to assist in various areas such as criminal investigations, civil enforcement actions, intelligence and analysis, victim identification, external outreach and training, and public education. This program enabled DHS to conduct 135 training and outreach events that provided instruction to 14,000 law enforcement partners. Additionally, the organization conducted 194 public awareness trainings with 19,626 participants from the federal government, local communities and private sector through the Blue Campaign. This national public awareness campaign is designed to educate the public, law enforcement, and other industry partners on recognizing indicators of human trafficking and how to respond appropriately to potential cases. The campaign led to the formation of 63 new partnerships - a 46% increase from the previous fiscal year.
"Human trafficking is more than a violation of law; the exploitation of vulnerable people is also a violation of our basic humanity," said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. "We are bringing the full weight of our department’s resources to bear in our fight against this heinous crime by rescuing victims and holding perpetrators accountable. The work of our Center for Countering Human Trafficking unites us all within the department with our partners in communities across the country and globally in achieving this critical mission."
The DHS news release states that due to CCHT findings, DHS is now better positioned to enhance its efforts against human trafficking. The organization aims to surpass last year's figures which saw 2,610 individuals arrested for human trafficking-related offenses while assisting 731 victims. Additionally, DHS personnel worked on 1,044 human trafficking-related indictments that resulted in 519 convictions.
"The CCHT Annual report represents more than just statistics and accomplishments," said CCHT Director Cardell T. Morant. "This report reflects the continuous commitment of DHS, and our ongoing collaboration with our partners to advance counter-human trafficking law enforcement operations, protect victims and enhance prevention efforts through training and outreach."
