Human Trafficking Workshop Slated in Wenatchee April 21

SPOKANE, Wash. – A series of specialized training programs intended to address the issue of human trafficking in Washington State will commence at the Wenatchee Police Department, 140 South Mission, Wenatchee, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on April 21.

Intended to increase awareness of human trafficking among state, tribal and local law enforcement officials, human service workers and other first responders, the training program series was initiated by the U.S. Department of Justice COPS Office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In Washington State, the training is being provided under a partnership between the Western Regional Institute for Community Oriented Public Safety (WRICOPS), in association with the Extension Service at Washington State University Spokane and Washington Anti-Trafficking Resistance.

Human trafficking is a form of modern day slavery which imprisons more than 2 million people worldwide. The trafficking of human beings for profit in the sex industry or labor camps through force and coercion is not confined to Southeast Asia or Africa, as the popular understanding may have it. It is estimated that more than 15,000 people are trafficked in the United States each year.

John Goldman, WRICOPS Executive Director, said, “It is our mission to provide access to training which addresses emerging issues such as human trafficking that are threatening the communities of Washington State.”

Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 2000 and the abolition of human trafficking is a priority for the U.S. Department of Justice. More than 1,000 victims have been assisted in recent years and more than 30 federally funded task forces are now in existence, including one in the Seattle area to enforce the protection of law. 

An article in the May 10, 2004 Seattle PI labeled Seattle as a “Hot Spot” for human cargo. The article pointed out that “Washington State’s Basic Law Enforcement Academy does not include any information about trafficking, and a number of local police departments say they don’t have the time and resources to set up special trafficking training.” 

There is no fee for registration for the Wenatchee workshop, which is open to any interested person. To register, contact Gabriela Ibarra at 509.854.2800 or gabriela@consejo-wa.org by April 19.