Leading the fight against human trafficking in Louisiana

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — The fight against human trafficking is growing each day as new victims are forced into the lifestyle. Organizations and law enforcement agencies in NWLA are coming together to be the village for the region’s most vulnerable populations.

The Kennedy Center, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Louisiana State Police, and Purchased, Not For Sale Caddo are just a few of the organizations that have combined resources to lead the charge to combat human trafficking in Louisiana and beyond.

Human trafficking doesn’t always look like it does in the movies and working to end it cannot be done by just one non-profit or one police department, individuals and organizations must work together to help pull victims from the trauma they are experiencing.

Louisiana is a hotbed for traffickers because of the number of special events that are held in the state. Especially New Orleans, East Baton Rouge, and Shreveport. FBI Supervisory Special Agent Zachary Crutchfield of heads the state’s Violent Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking squad out of New Orleans and shared how these men and women are being trafficked so easily.

“Louisiana and New Orleans is really a special event location. So we’ve identified that when we’re looking at federal trafficking, they’re coming in for those special events, usually through a corridor from Houston, from North Memphis and Jackson, and they’re coming in from the Florida sides,” Crutchfield said.

Crutchfield said individuals that are involved with trafficking are often very charismatic and prey on people with financial issues, low self-esteem, or are going through a particularly difficult time.

“But honestly, anybody can be involved in trafficking.”

To resolve whether a situation is a trafficking issue or a prostitution issue. It is defined by age and situation.

“We define the difference between prostitution and trafficking based on a statute. So if there’s a minor involved in a sexual trafficking or prostitution ring with a pimp, we can still charge federally because a minor is a minor regardless of force, fraud, or cause. And they may want to do it, but they are underage. They’re minors. So we don’t allow we don’t assume they can make their own decisions as opposed to an adult,” Crutchfield said.

An adult can choose to be part of the prostitution lifestyle and choose to sell their body. Because of this, the FBI cannot go after them federally. If a minor is forced into it, traffickers face a minimum 15-year prison sentence.

The FBI is there to help the local police who can’t reach across state or parish lines to facilitate investigating and charging someone who is involved in human trafficking.

The Louisiana State Police are also part of the statewide coalition fighting in Louisiana to keep trafficking out of the state.

LSP Public Information Officer, LeAnn Hodges, shared that traffickers can come from all different backgrounds. Even boyfriends, parents, business owners, men or women, can be traffickers in disguise.

“Most traffickers attempt to keep a low profile. These individuals sell a false narrative of honest work for honest pay or they can play the role of a loved one who has victims convinced that they love them and are taking care of them.”

Trooper Hodges shared that violence and isolation can play a big role in keeping victims silent. LSP often learns about traffickers through hotlines, citizen complaints, and police investigations. Often times individual families will call in a welfare concern, and police are able to go from there.

“Some traffickers are local and operate out of local hotels or motels, and some traffickers carry their victims from state line to state line or parish to parish,” Hodges said.

LSP works with federal and local agencies to fight human trafficking through a multi-jurisdiction task force.

“[They] have meetings on local trafficking cases and different ways that we can help these victims to get the services that he or she needs. They also help by providing the services to the family members of these victims and coordinating information throughout these agencies to help combat future trafficking cases.”

Law enforcement agencies could not do what they do without the help of local hospitals and social services agencies.

Ochsner LSU Health is another partner in the fight to combat human trafficking in Louisiana. Sheree Stephens is the Vice President of Quality and Health Equity for Louisiana, and she shared how important it is for hospitals to protect patients from abuse and neglect. Human trafficking is a form of abuse and neglect.

“So when hospitals understand that that’s really part of our mission, it really fits quite naturally for us to be able to be part and to assist in any way that we can in the health crisis of human trafficking that is across our country,” Stephens said.

Ochsner LSU Health partners with Purchased, Not For Sale to train their staff on the signs and symptoms of people who are potentially being trafficked. Every staff member is taught how to screen any encounter they have for potential signs of abuse and neglect.

The goal is for every person that walks into the building for care; who displays certain warning signs to be screened by the staff for possible abuse or neglect.

“The more we can train on trauma-informed care then we’re not going to re-trigger them or potentially retrigger them for those traumatic events. So it’s very important, and it’s really a multidisciplinary team that we work with.”

Trauma-informed care is a way of approaching patients or clients with a different perspective that respects the things they have possibly been through. According to the Trauma Informed Care Implementation Research Center, trauma-informed care shifts the focus from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” That is the foundation of what Ochsner does to help every patient.

Ochsner LSU Health doesn’t stop at just screening individuals for abuse and neglect, they assist in getting those affected by human trafficking to a safe place. Their partnerships with Purchased, Not For Sale, local law enforcement, and other local resources set them up to bring their survivors to safety.

“It is just so humbling to be able to be part of a program that is really allowing restored lives for victims that feel like they have no other way out. So I just feel honored and humbled to be able to really just be part of putting a team together because it’s the team that does it. It’s the emergency room workers. It is the nurses on the inpatient units, the physicians on the inpatient units, and in the emergency rooms, and then also the experts in our community partners that are doing all of the work.”

This is just a small part of the community that is coming together to help fight against human trafficking in our community. Because of law enforcement, social services, and healthcare facilities, human trafficking survivors have a chance at a restored life after their road to recovery.

For more information visit Stop Trafficking Louisiana.