January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month: Milwaukee police explain what it looks like in our city
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
The Milwaukee Police Department says it's an issue across the country, including in our city.
"What we're talking about is somebody engaging in creating a relationship that exploits the vulnerabilities of another human being for their own gain," explained Maria Rozek, a victim advocate for MPD's Sensitive Crimes Division.
She says human trafficking victims come in many forms.
"My youngest person that I've ever worked with was nine years old. The oldest person I've worked with off the track was in her mid-60s, and she was looking out for the other people that were out there," Rozek said.
MPD confirms it's a problem in Milwaukee due to the city's proximity to major metro areas, like Chicago and Minneapolis.
Anna Flores, a detective for Milwaukee Police Department's Human Trafficking unit, says another challenge is group home placement, as half of all group homes in the state are located in Milwaukee.
"We know from our victims that the traffickers just wait down the block and just wait for the first person to come out. It's that easy for them," Flores explained.
In the past year, Flores says they've seen an increase in interfamilial and domestic cases.
"There's a big misconception about it being a stranger and being pulled into a vehicle, and then kidnapped," Flores said. What we see - it's people that have that relationship."
She wants the community to understand that human trafficking isn't something victims engage in willingly - it's a violent crime.
"The statute states, 'force, fraud, or coercion,' and we see a lot of force being used against our victims," Flores said.
Trafficking patrols can increase during big events like the Super Bowl. While data doesn't show a direct link, Rozek says there is always a risk.
"If that's a thing that's happening on the regular, of course that exponentially can happen in a greater volume if you have something like a public event," Rozek said.
It's a daily occurrence, and one the city's only two trafficking investigators are taking seriously.
"We stay busy, but we always wait for the next case, because we know that our traffickers don't only have just one victim," Flores said. "There's usually always more."
Detective Flores understands not everyone wants to go straight to the police.
She says if you or someone you know is a victim, you can call the Human Trafficking Hotline: 888-373-7888.