Abstract
Since passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) in 2000, communities across the United States have grappled with how to respond to the crime of sex trafficking. Sex trafficking spans all sectors of our communities. Legitimate businesses and institutions are often used to facilitate the criminal activity, and in some jurisdictions are used to help detect and disrupt the crime. People who experience sex trafficking often undergo immense physical, mental, and emotional trauma – both as part of the trafficking situation and leading up to it – and require a myriad of services in order to reintegrate into society. These crimes require complex, intensive, and long-term responses. Law enforcement cannot address these cases alone. With that in mind, Caitlin and Deena sought to address the following question: How can local law enforcement and non-law enforcement agencies effectively partner to respond to sex trafficking cases involving foreign born women and mitigate harm to victims? Through interviews with service providers and law enforcement officials in Boston, New York, Seattle, and San Francisco, their research identified challenges in partnership development and sought to provide guidance to jurisdictions in effective response to sex trafficking cases.