The Cook County Sheriff’s Office is cognizant of human trafficking and takes the reports and subsequent investigation of such crimes very seriously. We work with many different agencies to share information, conduct joint investigations, provide training and educate the public on

signs of trafficking. We provide a Deputy Sheriff to work with the TRUST (Tribes United against Sex Trafficking) Task Force which conducts investigations across the State of Minnesota and focuses on reservations and casinos. The work done by this task force has led to many arrests and continues to implement public safety strategies for preventing trafficking in the communities we serve.

If you observe a situation where you think signs of trafficking are present, please call the Cook

County Sheriff’s Office at 218-387-3030, or if it is time sensitive, call 911.

Human trafficking can be broken down into three primary elements: what is done, how it’s done

and why it’s done — the act, the means, and the purpose.

Each of the three elements is spelled out in the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish

Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children. This United Nations Convention,

adopted in 2003, established the formal worldwide definition for human trafficking.

Trafficking in Persons [is] the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of

persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.

Human trafficking may involve the illegal movement of persons across country borders, it may

include a smuggling component, but human smuggling only becomes trafficking if deception,

coercion, abuse of power and threats of or use of force are used to hold people against their will

for the purposes of labor or sexual exploitation.

Recognizing common signs that a person is possibly a victim of human trafficking is an

important part of helping save lives. The following indicators compiled by the U.S. Department

of Homeland Security are often present in cases of human trafficking; however, the presence of

an indicator isn’t proof someone is a trafficking victim. And not all the indicators are always

present in human trafficking cases.

People who fall prey to sex traffickers need help. Awareness of potential sex trafficking

signs―and knowledge of how to help―can save lives. Many people and businesses are in the

position to recognize these signs. For example, healthcare officials are among the most likely

community members to come in contact with trafficked individuals.

If you encounter a child or adult who may be trafficked, here’s what you can do:

1. Call 911, the police, or the sheriff if anyone is in immediate danger.

2. Contact the appropriate Safe Harbor Regional Navigator. Information for each regional office

is available on the Safe Harbor website.

3. Call the National Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text “HELP” to Polaris Project’s

BeFree Textline at 233733.

4. Many trafficked individuals are in need of shelter and resources. If you are a landlord, you

may be able to help by providing shelter. Other people may be able to help by making a

charitable donation to organizations that help trafficked individuals. Before making any

charitable donation, you should check the reputation of the organization on the Minnesota

Attorney General’s website at www.ag.state.mn.us/Charity/Default.asp.

OUR NEIGHBORS ARE WORTH THIS FIGHT. THEY CAN BE HELPED. ONE PERSON

AT TIME.