The fight to end modern day slavery involves complex challenges that make it hard on law enforcement, advocates, and community leaders to identify survivors and hold criminals accountable. We know that most of these crimes are prosecuted in local jurisdictions across this country and require committed resources from State and municipal governments to drive these traffickers out of the dark into the light. That’s why CPAC’s Center for Combating Human Trafficking took to the road, joining Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s Counter Human Trafficking Unit Task Force for a roundtable focused on best practices and policies to bring these bad actors to justice.
During the forum held in Jefferson City, Missouri, CPAC and the AG’s Task Force discussed the evolving challenges facing law enforcement when it comes to collecting digital evidence of abuse, overcoming language barriers with victims, and ensuring cops, prosecutors, and victim service providers have the resources needed to serve their community. A recurring theme during the roundtable was the struggle of the public to find ways to support those serving survivors and prosecuting traffickers and one solution became clear – conservatives must push lawmakers to do more.
Bridging the resource gap for those serving on the front lines of anti-trafficking is one of the most important problems facing communities across the country. Voters across the country can make solving this challenge a reality by calling for funding, staff, and housing that supports survivors while also giving the police the tools they need to root out the sophisticated criminal traffickers. As the country defines its most vital issues in an election year, the message from the State and local communities must remain consistent: law enforcement and victims’ advocates should be prioritized when policymakers set the agenda for 2024 and beyond.
