Failing victims? Challenges of the police response to human trafficking

Abstract

Research Summary The police have a duty to provide assistance to crime victims. Despite the importance of this role, scholars examining police effectiveness have historically been less attentive to the needs of victims. As the police are increasingly called on to combat sex and labor trafficking crimes, it is timely to explore how this new population of victims is served by the police. Information from a review of human trafficking investigations and in‐depth interviews with police and service providers in three U.S. communities indicates that human trafficking victims often do not trust the police and rarely seek their assistance. When the police do respond, human trafficking victims seek affirmation of their experiences and safety from future harm. Policy Implications Recommendations are offered to improve police responses to human trafficking victims including efforts to build trust, promote victim safety, and meet the needs of victims outside of the justice system.

Improving police effectiveness in ensuring justice

“…Amy Farrell and her colleagues (, p. 649) call attention to the ways in which police interact with crime victims and describe how the nature of these encounters shapes victim willingness to provide investigators with vital information on offender identities and the circumstances surrounding their victimizations. They review human trafficking case files and interview police investigators and service providers in three U.S. communities to understand why victims may be reticent to seek police intervention.…”

“…Beyond holding traffickers accountable for their crimes, Farrell et al. () suggest that police need to develop their capacity to have positive interactions and working relationships with victims, refer human trafficking victims to specialized service providers that better suit victims’ needs, and facilitate successful transitions back to their communities by avoiding arresting victims and supporting efforts to make it easier for crimes they have committed to be expunged from criminal history records.…”

“…Human trafficking victims report being afraid of the police, unsure whether they are indeed being victimized, often traumatized by their exploitation and in need of service, and reluctant to participate in the prosecutor of their traffickers. Beyond holding traffickers accountable for their crimes, Farrell et al (2019) suggest that police need to develop their capacity to have positive interactions and working relationships with victims, refer human trafficking victims to specialized service providers that better suit victims' needs, and facilitate successful transitions back to their communities by avoiding arresting victims and supporting efforts to make it easier for crimes they have committed to be expunged from criminal history records.…”

“…The challenge for the police is to develop stronger relationships with these individuals so they are more willing to serve as witnesses and/or share information on the offenders who victimized them. Although Brunson and Wade (2019) and Farrell et al (2019) provide some insights into ways the police can improve their relationships with these high-risk populations, there is scant empirical evidence that these kinds of suggestions will translate into increased arrest rates. Further descriptive research is needed on the problem of poor police relations with these special populations, and a body of evaluation evidence needs to be created to determine whether any new programs or tactics can lead to greater information sharing and improved clearance rates.…”

Understanding the challenges to investigating and prosecuting organ trafficking: a comparative analysis of two cases

“…Would the Netcare case have been prosecuted as a human trafficking crime if South Africa would have had anti-trafficking legislation at the time the case was exposed? On the one hand, awareness of trafficking has been found to be higher in countries that have anti-trafficking legislation and is also greater in law enforcement agencies that have received training (Farrell et al 2019a;Grubb and Bennett 2012;Irwin, 2017;Renzetti et al 2015). On the other hand, not all countries that have passed anti-THB legislation, utilize this law to prosecute cases as trafficking, even when there are clear trafficking indicators Newton et al 2008).…”