Florida Human Trafficking Reports Rise Dramatically In 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the number of human trafficking case reports climbed significantly across the country in 2016, the story was very much the same in Florida. The National Human Trafficking Hotline fielded 550 case calls from the Sunshine State in 2016, up from 412 cases reported in 2015. Since 2007, the hotline has received 2,321 case reports from Florida.

That’s according to Polaris, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization on the frontlines in the battle against human trafficking nationally and worldwide. Polaris is responsible for running the national hotline, which provides victims and others impacted by human trafficking access to resources, including shelters, food programs and law enforcement agencies across the country.

Florida’s 2016 case numbers include 401 reports related to sex trafficking and 92 cases of labor trafficking. The remaining reports represent other types of human trafficking. The numbers reported by Polaris do not, however, represent the full scope of the human trafficking problem in Florida or across the country, explained Jenna Novak, Polaris’ strategic relationship and engagement advisor. Cases reported directly to the state abuse hotlines and local law enforcement agencies are not included in Polaris’ statistics.

See also: Human Trafficking – Hidden In Suburbia

The uptick in reported cases was also witnessed on the national level. Overall, Polaris saw a 35 percent increase in case reports from across the country in 2016. Nationally, Polaris’ hotlines handled 8,042 case calls in 2016.

While the dramatic climb might seem alarming, the news isn’t entirely bad, Novak said. The rapid rise in case calls is partially attributed to greater awareness across the country about human trafficking in general, she said. In addition, the rise also comes as more people are being made aware of the help the hotline has to offer victims of human trafficking and those who are concerned for friends, family members, neighbors and others who might be victims of this crime.

“We have a database of over 3,000 organizations across the entire country that are able to serve trafficking victims,” Novak said. That number, she added, is something Polaris is constantly working to increase.

People who call the hotline at 1-888-373-7888 can be connected to such services as case management, housing, legal assistance, food assistance and more. While connections to local law enforcement are also made available, Novak stressed that referrals are made on a case-by-case basis with caller preference very much in the forefront.

“We provide callers with safety and options, and allow them to choose options,” she said.

What is Human Trafficking?

“Here in this country, people are being bought, sold, and smuggled like modern-day slaves, often beaten, starved, and forced to work as prostitutes or to take jobs as migrant, domestic, restaurant, or factory workers with little or no pay,” the FBI explains on its website.

The FBI says human trafficking cases in the United States tend to fall into four different investigative areas:

• Domestic sex trafficking of adults – This involves adults who are compelled to engage in commercial sex acts, generally through force, fraud or coercion
• Sex trafficking of international adults and children – This involves foreign nationals who are brought into the country for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts
• Forced labor – This type of trafficking involves American citizens or foreign nationals who are made to perform work through force or coercion
• Domestic servitude – Trafficking of this type involves forcing or coercing citizens or foreign nationals to perform domestic work for households or families

How to Get Help

Human trafficking related tips can be called into local law enforcement agencies directly. The National Human Trafficking Resource Center also has a 24-hour-a-day hotline available at 1-888-373-7888. Floridians who suspect a child might be a victim of human trafficking may also call the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-96-ABUSE, as well.

To read Polaris’ full 2016 report, visit the organization online.

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