It's Here- The Ubiquity of Human Trafficking in Colorado






The question I get asked the most when I present to a group of people on the topic of human trafficking always goes something like, "I can't see the victims. So does it still go on here, in my community? I can't see it, so I typically don't take notice of the issue."

The two parts of my personality fight with how I should answer. One expresses utter dismay, and frustration of how an issue so big (human trafficking is estimated to impact over  27 million people around the world) can go so unnoticed. The other part of my personality wants to turn into a lecturer on how much human trafficking impacts our world and those in it.

Despite these urges to answer in a effective and passionate speech many of my answers to this question are composed of a comparatively simple statement that says this: If human trafficking impacts one person on this earth, isn't that one too many people? Added in with this statement is a desperate plea to convince my audience through information that human trafficking is here.

It's here.

And unfortunately it is not going away.

So if you are one of those people who cannot comprehend the extent of this issue, or even its impacts or prevalence in your community, keep reading because hopefully I can tell you that human trafficking is here and there is something that you can do to combat it.

On February 6th, The Colorado Council on Human Trafficking announced the release of their most recent annual report on human trafficking in the State of Colorado.  For the readers out there: this report gives a great indepth look at what Colorado is doing to approach the issue of human trafficking. The council is made up of both government officials, but also of community and organizational representatives. The report analyzes data from Colorado's Department of Justice and says that there were over 95 cases of human traffickings between 2014 and 2016 (the data for 2017 has not been incorporated in this year's report).  In those three years over 300 victims were rescued by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. As you work your way through the report, the Council details different state and national specific figures regarding trafficking including the amount of time that the state hotline has been used, and new standards for rehabilitation for victims of human trafficking who have subsequently been placed in a home.  The release of the report only further highlights that human trafficking is an issue that is prevalent to the people of Colorado, the United States and the World.  It is an issue that impacts all of us, in unique ways that we may not expect. From the food the eat, to the clothes we wear, all the way to the people we interact with, all of this can be human trafficking.

The 300 victims of human trafficking that were recovered in the State of Colorado in the last three years, were the individuals found. Not all of the individuals currently being victimized in some of the darkest horrors imaginable.

It's here.

If you are still wary about the presence of human trafficking in the State of Colorado and in your specific community I want to encourage you to visit this site.  It is a report by Rocky Mountain PBS detailing specifically the sex trafficking of a minors in the state. One of the most impactful parts of this report is the map that the site provides of where individuals who are caught sexually trafficking a child are caught and put onto trial.  This map truley shows that trafficking can occur anywhere to anyone and it is happening. 

 It's here. 

 At the end of the day we can choose to be silent about trafficking, child sexual abuse or any other of the things that our imperfect world has in it. However,  we can also choose to accept and acknowledge our imperfections; to acknowledge that it's here and then take tangible actions in order to address combat the issues that permeates through our communities, homes and world.

 We can choose to let human trafficking sit in the darkness or we can choose to announce to the world that it's here and we are ready to end it. 

 Choose to end it. Choose to be educated. And choose to illuminate the darkness of human exploitation. 

 Best,

 Jacob 

 Resource of the Week

 The National Human Trafficking Hotline-- Colorado Statistics
News Event of the Week

 More than 400 men respond to sex ads in one-day trafficking sting in Fort Collins


Comments

  1. UnknownFebruary 12, 2018 at 7:36 AM

    Powerful. Thank you for the resources so we can continue to educate ourselves! Looking forward to your Illuminate Walk!

    ReplyDelete

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