WICHITA, KAN. – Elizabeth Smart’s story of how she survived nine months as a prisoner after her abduction in 2002 will be the highlight of a two-day conference on human trafficking this week in Wichita, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

“Her story shows you are never alone,” said U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom. “There is always hope, always someone who cares, always the opportunity for life after a tragedy.”

Grissom’s office is sponsoring the 2012 Human Trafficking Conference Thursday and Friday, Sept. 27 and 28, at the Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview in Wichita along with Cox Communications, ICT S.O.S., the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center and the Regional Community Policing Training Institute at Wichita State University.

More than 400 law enforcement officers, victim advocates and others are registered to attend the training, which begins at 8 a.m. Thursday at the hotel at 400 W. Douglas in Wichita.

Speakers will include:
Tyson Elliott with the Florida Dept. Of Children and Families’ Statewide Human Trafficking, speaking about teenage girls who become involved in sex trafficking.
Mark Elam, founder of Oklahomans Against Trafficking Human, speaking on the five types of human traffickers and their techniques for controlling their victims.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart; Christine Ladner and Dorthy Stucky-Halley of Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s office, and Lt. Jeff Weible of the Wichita Police Department talking about how state and local law enforcement agencies work together to fight human trafficking.

More information about the conference is available at http://www.kletc.org/handouts/pdf/human2012.pdf

 

 

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