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Human Trafficking Task Force

Trafficking is the use of force, threat of force, fraud or coercion to recruit, harbor, transport, provide or obtain any person for labor or commercial sex or to cause a person under 18 to engage in a commercial sex act.

Human trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery involving the illegal trade of people for exploitation or commercial gain.

Every year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked in countries around the world, including the United States. It is estimated that human trafficking generates many billions of dollars of profit per year, second only to drug trafficking as the most profitable form of transnational crime.

Traffickers use force, fraud, or coercion to lure their victims and force them into labor or commercial sexual exploitation. They look for people who are susceptible for a variety of reasons, including psychological or emotional vulnerability, economic hardship, and lack of a social safety net, natural disasters, or political instability. The trauma caused by the traffickers can be so great that many may not identify themselves as victims or ask for help, even in highly public settings.

Mission:

Together, the Middle District of Alabama United States Attorney’s Office (MDAL-USAO) and members of the task force aim to serve the Middle District of Alabama collaboratively by identifying victims, serving victims, and prosecuting human trafficking cases.

Goals:

  • Prevent, identify, investigate, disrupt, and prosecute human trafficking crimes.

  • Dismantle any criminal organization that promotes or participates in the commission of human trafficking crime.

  • Promote a coordinated approach to the provision of services for victims of human trafficking at the federal, state, and local levels.

  • Provide federal leadership and direction to improve victim services.

  • Coordinate victim services effectively through collaboration with victim service providers in the district.

  • Conduct outreach, awareness activities, and resources for the public.

Trafficking Victims and Witnesses

In case of an emergency, please call 911.

Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Fusion Center Suspicious Activity Report
You can report any suspicious activity here alea.gov/SAR

 

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Find Your U. S. Attorney's Office

 

National Human Trafficking Resource Center

If you believe you are the victim of a trafficking situation or may have information about a potential trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888. NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year related to potential trafficking victims, suspicious behaviors, and/or locations where trafficking is suspected to occur.

You can also submit a tip on the NHTRC website at humantraffickinghotline.org/report-trafficking.

Upcoming Events

November 5, 2020, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. CST:  MDAL HTTF Community Meeting
Please contact Jackie Vickers at Jackie.Vickers@usdoj.gov to attend.

Task Force Participants
  • Alabama Law Enforcement Agency

  • Auburn Police Department

  • Auburn Sheriff’s Department

  • Autauga County Sheriff’s Department

  • Dadeville Police Department

  • Department of Homeland Security

  • Dothan Police Department

  • Elmore County Sheriff’s Department

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation

  • Fusion Center

  • Greenville Police Department

  • Henry County Sheriff’s Office

  • Lee County Sheriff’s Office

  • Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department

  • Macon County Sheriff’s Office

  • Millbrook Police Department

  • Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office

  • Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office

  • Montgomery Police Department

  • Office of the Alabama Attorney General

  • Opelika Police Department

  • Poarch Creek Tribal Police

  • Prattville Police Department

  • Shorter Police Department

  • State Bureau of Investigation

  • Tuskegee Police Department

  • Wetumpka Police Department

Links

DOJ Human Trafficking Unit: justice.gov/crt/human-trafficking-prosecution-unit-htpu

FBI: fbi.gov/investigate/civil-rights/human-trafficking

HSI Blue Campaign: dhs.gov/blue-campaign

Alabama State Human Trafficking Task Force: enditalabama.org

Polaris: polarisproject.org

Updated January 18, 2023