Alaska Coalition Against Trafficking Continuation

Under this award the Municipality of Anchorage will further enhance and operate a victim centered human trafficking task force in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney's Office, federal law enforcement, and their human trafficking services provider to identify and rescue victims of human trafficking, proactively investigate human trafficking cases, and prosecute traffickers. The primary goal of this program is to identify and rescue foreign victims of trafficking through a victim-centered, proactive investigation strategy. The secondary goal is the interdiction of trafficking and the successful prosecution of traffickers.

The Municipality of Anchorage will use the 2010 Human Trafficking funds to support officer overtime for the Anchorage Police Department to investigate human traffickers. Specifically, the Vice Unit of the Anchorage Police Department will initiate and coordinate relationships with the other current and future members of the Alaska Coalition Against Trafficking (ACT). Officers will continue primary details during evening hours with the flexibility to accommodate leads and tips as received. Work details will be accomplished through the use of overtime funding. However, the same assigned officers and additional uniformed patrol will exercise new vigilance in screening for victims of trafficking and pursuing any information obtained during the course of their associated normal duty assignment. Officers will continue to utilize existing municipal code and state law enforcement regulations as they relate to licensed businesses, to determine the legitimacy of the varied establishments. The heightened scrutiny will assist in identification of trafficking incidents where they may exist and send a solid message to the establishments in an attempt to eliminate trafficking participation.

CA/NCF