State Agencies Aim To Address Human Trafficking

Lisa McCormick said she never used to think human trafficking happened in Wisconsin. Then, her late son became a victim.

“Traffickers will, you know, they provided a place for my son to live,” she said. “They provided all the food he wanted. They provided him new clothes, a cell phone. And you know, what person living on the streets (who) can’t afford to buy their own drugs isn’t going to say yes to that, and so they’re looking at the vulnerable ones.”

McCormick shared her son’s story alongside state officials addressing human trafficking in the state Tuesday.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice Human Trafficking Bureau arrested 15 sex traffickers between September 2017 and Jan. 1, 2018.

Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel said human trafficking is deep underground, making it a challenge to address. However, he said his agency has plans going forward to combat the issue.

“So, this thing that’s happening right in front of us but is hard to see, can start to have more light shed on it,” Schimel said.

Schimel said residents can expect more prosecutions going forward.

The state Department of Children and Families will establish the Anti-Human Trafficking Advisory Council this year, which will advise state agencies on how to combat trafficking.

Eloise Anderson, secretary for DCF, said human trafficking is a widespread issue, not specific to urban areas.

“What we learned over the couple years, it’s in big cities, small towns, rural areas,” Anderson said. “It’s everywhere. It’s what I call the equal opportunity crime. It knows no color, it knows no class, it knows no sex.”

The state also plans to establish regional hubs to help communities work through cases and raise awareness about human trafficking.