https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Events
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • Magazine
    • Back
    • Digital Editions
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • Advertise
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Events
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • Magazine
    • Back
    • Digital Editions
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • Subscribe to GovPro
    • Manage GovPro Subscription
    • Advertise
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
acc.com

Commentaries


Commentary

Why local governments should consider a holistic approach to human trafficking

Why local governments should consider a holistic approach to human trafficking

  • Written by Shunu Shrestha
  • 10th April 2019

Most cities want to address human trafficking in a meaningful way, but there is no clear consensus on the best way to go about it. However, a comprehensive, citywide approach underway in three cities is demonstrating great potential.

Chicago, Atlanta and my city, Minneapolis, have received grant funding as part of the Pathways to Freedom project to challenge assumptions about who human trafficking survivors are, develop citywide responses, and share local solutions. I have been on the job since June and can already point to several reasons why this is an important approach for Minneapolis, as well as a model that other cities should consider.


Reason 1: Most Cities Need to Reconsider How They View and Approach Human Trafficking

Traditionally, cities take too narrow a view of trafficking in general, as well as how to address it.

Almost always, more focus is given to sex trafficking than labor trafficking. As a result, workplace exploitation—even within a city’s own supply chains—often goes unnoticed, leaving its victims without resources or recourse. One of the most effective ways to prevent labor trafficking is to implement and enforce strong labor protection policies and support education efforts to ensure workers know their rights and how to report exploitation to appropriate agencies.

When cities do fight back against human trafficking, they traditionally rely too heavily on a criminal justice approach. While law enforcement is crucial to ending trafficking in all its forms, it also has inherent limitations. Specifically, a law enforcement-only approach does not address prevention, identify the root causes of trafficking, or utilize the many public health, human services, labor, legal, housing, and immigration systems that human trafficking survivors interact with.

Even more problematic, however, is the fact that many trafficking victims fear law enforcement. With the increased threat of deportation in today’s political climate, immigrant communities may become more vulnerable to trafficking and less likely to report exploitation or access services.

Cities can respond by ensuring they are providing a safe and welcoming environment for all residents. One way to do that is instituting a municipal identification program that will help all people—especially vulnerable populations such as undocumented immigrants and LGBTQ individuals—access city services.

Reason 2: Many City Departments Regularly Interact with Human Trafficking Survivors, Its Perpetrators, and Those at Risk 

Most city departments from housing to finance to the health department have roles to play in a municipal fight against labor and sex trafficking. Moreover, there is growing evidence that a comprehensive, cross-departmental approach will allow cities to better address the root causes of trafficking, such as economic vulnerability, xenophobia and LGBTQ discrimination. This potential for real change is rooted in a city’s well-established infrastructure that can be tapped into to  address human trafficking.

For example, medical professionals can be trained to identify possible victims of exploitation. A restaurant inspector who is aware of signs of workplace exploitation can take note during routine inspections. And, given the intersection between homelessness and trafficking risk, a city and housing department committed to creating safe emergency shelter and affordable housing for all has real power to prevent trafficking.

Reason 3: Departmental Leaders Want to Address Human Trafficking

Since joining city staff, I’ve heard from many colleagues who had never considered the connection between their areas of focus and human trafficking. Once they are informed, however, they are eager and willing to address labor and sexual exploitation from their unique vantage point. Immigration and labor law enforcement are great examples of that, because labor trafficking can be indicated by patterns of labor law violations like wage theft, wage manipulation, long hours and employers who fail to respond to worksite injuries.

Many low-wage workers are people from communities of color and immigrants who may be uninformed about laws that govern their industry and lack easily accessible reporting mechanisms. As a result, they frequently experience workplace violations without any appropriate resolution. Those gaps can be remedied through city interventions such as the civil rights department championing strong anti-exploitation measures like enforcing minimum wage, safe and sick time, and anti-wage theft policies.

As I continue anti-trafficking work in Minneapolis, I am certain I will learn more reasons why cities should consider a collaborative approach to address human trafficking. I urge cities to elevate this discussion, share ideas, and ask how they can institute infrastructures to prevent all forms of exploitation and human trafficking.

 

Shunu Shrestha recently joined the City of Minneapolis as its first anti-trafficking fellow after eight years serving as trafficking program coordinator at the Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault (PAVSA). 

Tags: Public Safety Commentaries Commentary

Related


  • American City & County’s 2020 Crown Communities Awards
    Projects nominated for American City & County's annual Crown Communities Awards are judged on uniqueness, short- and long-term value to the community and effective/innovative financing.
  • Using data to improve emergency response resources
    The ability for a COVID-19 outbreak to swiftly consume emergency response resources has emphasized the need for accurate and timely data reporting as a central component of the pandemic response effort. Continuous analysis of data collected is producing concerning results for response leaders, as new variants of the virus are discovered, and the United States […]
  • Designing city and county buildings for safety and accessibility
    The challenge of making public buildings safe from harm is expressed right there in the name. Whether a city hall, county administration building, courthouse or community service center, they are symbols of democracy, often objects of community pride but also, sometimes, of anger or resentment. They attract gatherings for both civic celebrations and protests, and […]
  • AT&T unveils FirstNet innovations, including HPUE, vertical location, deployable offerings
    FirstNet subscribers now can access new technological capabilities that are designed to improve terrestrial LTE coverage, locate first responders, let agencies address coverage gaps quicker during incidents and enable interoperability between FirstNet PTT and LMR users, FirstNet contractor AT&T announced. Although each of these announcements are significant individually by taking significant steps to address known […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • FirstNet Authority releases new details about impact of Nashville explosion on broadband system
  • Looking ahead: What 2021 will bring to public safety
  • In challenging year, working with public safety to move FirstNet forward
  • 2021 is when AI in public safety gets real

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

Why Tucson is building its own 4G network dlvr.it/RvDxK0

8th March 2021
AmerCityCounty

Key Steps Governments Can Take to Guard Against Malware Attack dlvr.it/RvCr2x

8th March 2021
AmerCityCounty

2020 Crown Communities winner: El Paso County, Texas’ pretrial justice modernization dlvr.it/Rv4GKL

6th March 2021
AmerCityCounty

A city’s innovative downtown master plan sees future in local, inclusive placemaking dlvr.it/Rv3SfM

5th March 2021
AmerCityCounty

2020 Crown Communities winner: Gainesville, Fla. closes Dignity Village and houses its homeless population dlvr.it/Rv1GS2

5th March 2021
AmerCityCounty

2020 Crown Communities Winner: South Bay Cities Council of Governments’ South Bay Fiber Network dlvr.it/Rv10b7

5th March 2021
AmerCityCounty

Senate American Rescue Plan includes more than $60 million in direct aid for counties dlvr.it/RtzvBK

4th March 2021
AmerCityCounty

ASCE releases 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure dlvr.it/Rtvck5

3rd March 2021

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X