DENVER-
Like domestic violence 30 years ago, human trafficking is poorly understood and hard to identify, but a new task force report represents a “major step forward” in combating the emerging problem, officials said Monday.
The report, to be delivered to the Legislature on Tuesday, said federal grants and new programs are helping law enforcement officers identify victims, and helping victim advocates learn new methods to help them.
“These people (traffickers) go to the most desolated, desperate areas where families will actually sell children to people they trust,” said Rep. Alice Borodkin, D-Denver, who sponsored the 2005 bill that created the task force.
“Then when they come in (to the United States), these people are coerced, broken and they’re terrified of any law enforcement. They don’t know they can’t walk out the door,” she said.
The report said authorities in Colorado know of about 30 cases of human trafficking—exploitation of people through force, threats or deception—since 2005. But it also said federal authorities estimate that only 1 percent of victims in the United States have been identified and provided assistance.
State lawmakers have taken initial steps in fighting human trafficking, but the task force was created to help provide guidance to further efforts.
Last year, lawmakers approved a bill to make it a felony to smuggle humans—a crime authorities said can often lead to human trafficking, which was made a felony in separate legislation approved last year.
Another bill gave the Colorado State Patrol about $1.5 million to train up to 24 troopers in working with illegal immigrants to boost enforcement against human smuggling and trafficking. Nineteen troopers volunteered to begin that training next month, said patrol spokesman Sgt. Jeff Goodwin.
Officials said helping train law enforcement officers to recognize victims of human trafficking will be critical. It can be difficult for a police officer to determine whether a woman suspected of prostitution, for example, has been forced into prostitution by people keeping her in the country against her will, Borodkin said.
“Identifying the victim is a big step that’s going to have to take place,” said Salvation Army Maj. Neal Hogan. “Our state has taken a major step forward in saying our state is not going to tolerate this.”
The Justice Department gave the Salvation Army a grant to set up programs in Denver and several other cities to help raise awareness of human trafficking, educate law enforcement and the public about it and track victims and determine how best to serve their needs.
The task force made several recommendations to expand those efforts statewide to help combat the growing problem. It also recommended enhancing penalties for trafficking in children and change victim-assistance laws to specifically encompass victims of human trafficking.
