Occurrence Participants are exposed to individuals for the first time who are flagged as a high risk or are identified as a victim of either exploitation or trafficking roughly weekly or every couple of months. Participant A stated that in their own personal caseload, they have had approximately at least two individuals who fit this classification each year. Participant B stated they: frequently receive calls from law enforcement when they have done undercover operations to target buyers of sex, sex trafficking, as well as the traffickers. But in the process of doing those operations they also come across women and teen girls, that are actually being trafficked.
Participant B receives “referrals from both law enforcement as well as other …show more content…
Three out of the five professionals identified travel as part of the issue. When asked to explain their reasoning, Participant A stated that the issue occurs due to the access of highways, traveling has occurred from Chicago, through Rochester, to the Twin Cities, and eventually to Fargo. Participant C stated, “simply the fact that it has been identified in Minnesota and the Twin Cities has been identified as one of the hot spots when you are talking about the travel path that traffickers use.” Participant E stated that youth have disclosed that Rochester has the highest market value, meaning the traffickers or pimps can charge more money. According to Participant E, the increased market value is due to the Mayo Clinic bringing in so many jobs and opportunities, thus increasing the demand in the local …show more content…
Participant B discussed how fortunate Minnesota has been to have a legislature that has passed and implemented the Safe Harbor law. Stating “Since it has been implemented in 2014, we have been very intentional about raising awareness and training on this issue. Our referrals have just constantly increased.” Participant B mentioned that as a whole, we are understaffed and do not have enough people who are “well-informed and trained on this issue to provide an adequate amount of services to victims.”
Participant D stated that exploitation is “one of the major precursors to trafficking and it is not okay to say ‘oh, it’s just sex for marijuana or that kids will be kids’.” When asked to explain further, Participant D said:
Because we are setting them up in 12 months and just from preventing any human harm standpoint, we want to address exploitation aggressively. Also from a cost standpoint, if we have a youth who is starting to be exploited it is much more economical to intervene then and maybe we are only using a few thousand dollars versus when it becomes trafficking and all of a sudden, it’s tens and tens if not hundreds of thousands of
Participant B receives “referrals from both law enforcement as well as other …show more content…
Three out of the five professionals identified travel as part of the issue. When asked to explain their reasoning, Participant A stated that the issue occurs due to the access of highways, traveling has occurred from Chicago, through Rochester, to the Twin Cities, and eventually to Fargo. Participant C stated, “simply the fact that it has been identified in Minnesota and the Twin Cities has been identified as one of the hot spots when you are talking about the travel path that traffickers use.” Participant E stated that youth have disclosed that Rochester has the highest market value, meaning the traffickers or pimps can charge more money. According to Participant E, the increased market value is due to the Mayo Clinic bringing in so many jobs and opportunities, thus increasing the demand in the local …show more content…
Participant B discussed how fortunate Minnesota has been to have a legislature that has passed and implemented the Safe Harbor law. Stating “Since it has been implemented in 2014, we have been very intentional about raising awareness and training on this issue. Our referrals have just constantly increased.” Participant B mentioned that as a whole, we are understaffed and do not have enough people who are “well-informed and trained on this issue to provide an adequate amount of services to victims.”
Participant D stated that exploitation is “one of the major precursors to trafficking and it is not okay to say ‘oh, it’s just sex for marijuana or that kids will be kids’.” When asked to explain further, Participant D said:
Because we are setting them up in 12 months and just from preventing any human harm standpoint, we want to address exploitation aggressively. Also from a cost standpoint, if we have a youth who is starting to be exploited it is much more economical to intervene then and maybe we are only using a few thousand dollars versus when it becomes trafficking and all of a sudden, it’s tens and tens if not hundreds of thousands of