Introduction and Background Information There are multiple organizations working toward eliminating the problem of human trafficking throughout Alaska. In 2015 the Municipality and Department of Labor and the Workforce Development organization joined together to create the Human Trafficking Working Group. The goal of this taskforce is to increase awareness of human trafficking in Alaska and to decrease human trafficking crimes committed. This taskforce brings together local, state, and federal resources to fight for their cause. The taskforce's work is a continuation of the work done by the 2012 Alaska Taskforce on the Crimes of Human Trafficking. This taskforce met several times in 2012 and 2013 and the members present at the meeting were …show more content…
The taskforce contacted all of the state and federal agencies operating within Alaska to try and identify which organizations were providing services to trafficking victims. The taskforce found a large number of NGOs that offered assistance to victims of both sex and labor trafficking. The goal of the taskforce was to compile a list of all the organizations that could give assistance to victims of trafficking. By making a list of these organizations the taskforce was better able to inform law enforcement on where to send victims so they could receive proper care and a way out of the life. The taskforce also interviewed various law enforcement agencies on whether or not they have run into trafficking on the job, how they handled it, if they thought the problem was prevalent in their town, etc. Through this research the taskforce was able to understand how law enforcement was recognizing and understanding the problem which lead to more effective training methods being developed. The taskforce promotes awareness for human trafficking by issuing a Human Trafficking Awareness sign that is required for posting in particular establishments that may be susceptible to human trafficking. The Awareness sign is printed in many different languages so all types of victims can understand it and it has the …show more content…
Law enforcement agencies have been better trained on recognizing and handling problems of human trafficking cases. The knowledge the taskforce has shared has allowed for better and more effective responses by the responders who are encountering trafficking victims firsthand. Along with that the taskforce has done its research and compiled a list of the most effective organizations to handle the care of trafficking victims. Prior to the taskforce it would have been difficult for a victim to find the right organization for their needs. Now victims can easily and effectively chose an organization that can help them with rehabilitation to get them back on track to living a normal life. While the taskforce has done some great things for the people of Alaska there are still many things that could be changed within the infrastructure of the taskforce. My first recommendation to the taskforce would be to provide a permanent group to work on handling human trafficking. The Anchorage human trafficking taskforce is only temporary and a permanent group would be more beneficial to the community. The problem of human trafficking will not go away for a long time so why should the taskforce combating the problem go away? Along with a permanent working group the taskforce should develop a meeting schedule that would continue meeting every few months or so. The current