Valley agencies fight to stop human trafficking year-round
PHOENIX – The Valley is officially packed with sports fans enjoying the World Cup Phoenix Open and pre-Super Bowl parties. But with the celebrations come dark menaces that multiple law enforcement agencies are currently closely following.
Preparations by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office to combat human trafficking began months ago with training. Now they are using this training on our Valley roads. Meanwhile, the Phoenix Dream Center has also raised awareness about the problem of sex trafficking.
Shauna Sexton tries to help rescue victims in the Valley and recently shared her painful experience of being caught human trafficking herself.
“I knew I was in danger when it really happened, but I had no way out,” Sexton said.
Believing that she had no way out, a gun malfunction unexpectedly saved her life.
“I put a gun to my head and pulled the trigger and the gun backfired,” Sexton said. “He attacked me and when the gun hit the ground the gun went off. And so a gun went off on a hotel room. The police show up.”
Police rescued Sexton that day. Now she directs human trafficking programs at the Phoenix Dream Center. She said big events like the Super Bowl kickstart human trafficking simply because there are more shoppers in the city.
“But the scale of human trafficking, I would say, doesn’t change much,” Sexton said. “Apart from the fact that buyers are often present here.”
Lt. Dmitrius Whelan-Gonzales of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said the agency began training more than 100 officers ahead of the Big Game. They’re learning to spot signs of sex trafficking, and MCSO is just one agency on duty around this week’s Valley sporting events.
“Law enforcement will serve and respond to ads as a deterrent,” Whelan-Gonzales said. “Most traffickers know this, so it’s a game of cat and mouse.”
Sex trafficking is a problem in the Valley 365 days a year. While Whelan-Gonzales and his team are on high alert, especially for all of the major sporting events, he also said the number of reported cases isn’t changing significantly.
“The total remains relatively the same,” Whelan-Gonzales said. “It rises a little. But unfortunately, cases of teenage victims being offered for sex are increasing.”
A 2011 study by the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women also found that “there is no empirical evidence that human trafficking for prostitution increases near major sporting events.” While there hasn’t been a huge increase in sex trafficking cases at major sporting events, the Phoenix Dream Center said it has cared for about 200 victims in the past year. The center adds that quantifying the number of people trafficked each year is difficult because most cases go unreported.
And there are signs we can all look out for.
“Women who have a little lower self-esteem, maybe not making eye contact, that’s bruising, branding, markings,” Sexton said.
She adds that it’s important not to approach anyone you think may be a victim of human trafficking, as it can be dangerous for both you and them.
Rather than reaching out to someone you think might be a victim, Sexton recommends calling the national human trafficking hotline to make a report. The number is 1-888-373-7888.
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