LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — Arkansas State Police and other agencies across the state took part in a sex trafficking operation in Little Rock last month, leading to multiple arrests and victims being rehabilitated.
ASP said in a news release that the anti-human trafficking event consisted of law enforcement and victim service providers from around the state working together to combat human trafficking, recover victims, and make our communities safer.
The operation consisted of federal, state, local, and non-government organizations including the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office, the Little Rock Police Department, Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Department of Finance and Administration, Harrison Police Department, Cabot Police Department, the Arkansas Fusion Center, along with victim advocates from the Regional Intervention of Sexual Exploitation “RISE,” The Genesis Project, the Hub of Hope, Into the Light, Paws for Justice, Children’s Protection Center and the NWA Forensic Nurse Team.
“It is important that we take a multidisciplinary and victim-centered approach to combat human trafficking together,” said ASP Director Colonel Mike Hagar.
During the one-day operation, ten adult females and two minor females were contacted and offered victim services, including food, lodging, onsite medical services, counseling, therapy, and drug rehabilitation, ASP said.
ASP stated that five of the adult females accepted assistance and the minors were taken into protective custody and released to the Department of Human Services. Additionally, ten adult males were contacted and detained as part of the investigation.
State police said that details could be released due to this being an ongoing investigation. However, they said that the issue of human trafficking continues to be a problem in Arkansas and across the United States and law enforcement will continue to take it seriously.
“These efforts will go a long way toward making Arkansas an intolerable environment for human trafficking,” said Col. Hagar. “The Arkansas law enforcement community is committed to entering the dark world of human trafficking with compassion so that we can pull victims into the light.
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed an executive order in February making combating human trafficking one of the hallmarks of her administration and challenged each state agency to do their part.
“As a result, the ASP Criminal Investigation Division committed to making bold strides to make Governor Sanders’ vision a reality,” said Major Stacie Rhoads, CID commander. “If not us, who?”
Anyone with information on human trafficking or suspect human trafficking is occurring in your area, is asked to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-8888.
