Readout of Attorney General Lynch’s Visit to New Orleans

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch spent the day in New Orleans participating in a roundtable on human trafficking with U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana Kenneth A. Polite; attending a roll call meeting with the New Orleans Police Department; and meeting with the family of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana Sheriff's Deputy Steven Arnold, who is being treated for injuries sustained in yesterday’s shooting.

The roundtable discussion on human trafficking was held at Covenant House in New Orleans and included representatives from Covenant House, Eden House, the Department of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Investigations, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office as well as two human trafficking survivors.

Covenant House and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office were the recipients of one of the Enhanced Collaborative Model (ECM) grants that are jointly administered by the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Office for Victims of Crime.  The ECM grants use a holistic approach to respond to human trafficking by supporting law enforcement entities that partner with victim service providers in order to improve services to human trafficking survivors and bring traffickers to justice through effective partnerships.

The discussion focused on the importance of a victim-focused, trauma-informed response to human trafficking and the importance of partnerships between law enforcement and victim service providers to ensure that survivors are able to effectively build new lives.

Today’s roundtable is one part of the department’s work to raise awareness during National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.  Earlier this month, the Office for Victims of Crime released a video series and resource guide, The Faces of Human Trafficking, to raise awareness about the many forms of human trafficking in the United States.

Following the roundtable, Attorney General Lynch also attended a roll call meeting at the New Orleans Police Department’s 1st District Police Station with rank and file officers, Police Superintendent Michael Harrison and 1^st District Commander Hans Ganthier.  The Attorney General expressed her continued support for the department, as well as her appreciation for their hard work in implementing the terms of the NOPD's consent decree agreement with the Justice Department, which she noted will lead to more effective policing in New Orleans.

Attorney General Lynch also met with the family of Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Deputy Steven Arnold at the LSU Medical Center.  During the meeting, she shared her best wishes for his swift recovery and her commitment to justice for his shooting.