Law enforcement agencies in Minnesota will be receiving nearly $800,000 in grant funding that will go towards police training and special courses to help officers better spot and stop sex trafficking leading up to and through the upcoming Super Bowl in Minneapolis.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Justice Programs announces that the state will be provided with eight grants to help fund the projects, which will be split by two state-level departments and seven local government agencies. The goal of the funding is to get out ahead of the curve, as statistics show that cities that host the Super Bowl are often plagued by a severe uptick in sex crimes and human trafficking.
“Taking advantage of youth and adults to use them for sex should concern every Minnesotan,” said Raeone Magnuson, the office’s director. “Providing resources and training to law enforcement enables them to strategically investigate sex trafficking cases to recover the highest-risk victims, as well as target the traffickers in ways they have not been able to do in the past.”
Super Bowl and Sex Trafficking
Although local prosecutors say that they expect the Super Bowl to bring a large uptick in sex traffickers and exploited women, they believe the event can be used to increase awareness of the problem. They also believe the enhanced training regimens will help officers identify more traffickers and help the women get out of a troublesome situation.
Here’s how the grants will be used:
Bureau of Criminal Apprehension – Sex Trafficking Investigations Conference
Department of Health – Sex Trafficking Investigations Conference
Duluth Police – Sex Trafficking Investigator
Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa – Sex Trafficking Investigator
Minneapolis Police – Sex Trafficking Analysts and Information Sharing Portal
New Ulm Police – Sex Trafficking Investigations Support
St. Paul Police – Sex Trafficking Criminal Analyst
Washington County Attorney’s Office – Trafficking Program Coordinator and Investigation Support
The recent grant isn’t the only proposal aimed at preventing sex trafficking that will be voted on prior to the Super Bowl. One proposal is seeking $2.3 million in funding to add more shelter beds, resources and youth outreach workers for vulnerable individuals, while another bill seeks to expand Minnesota’s Safe Harbor Law to adults.
For those of you unaware of Minnesota’s Safe Harbor law, it states that sexually exploited youths will be viewed as victims and not criminals for their actions. The law was passed back in 2011, but it only provides protections for individuals under the age of 18. A recent proposal hopes to add some protection for individuals over the age of 18 so they aren’t punished for their victimization.
Hopefully these proposals are passed, because sex traffickers are coming, whether or not we prepare for them. We need to get out ahead of this problem and help get these victims out of this vicious cycle.
