Human Trafficking More Common Than Expected
03/06/2024 4:30 p.m.
Trafficking can occur anywhere there is a cell phone, warned panelists at a Human Trafficking Forum held on March 4 at Central on Main.
The Broken Arrow Police Department and Broken Arrow Public Schools partnered together to examine what human trafficking looks like in our community.
Most people think of human trafficking as an international problem or something that only occurs on the coasts. But human trafficking can happen anywhere, anytime, even in a community like Broken Arrow.
“I think it would be naïve to think we don’t deal with these issues here in the city,” Broken Arrow Public School Superintendent Chuck Perry said. “And so, we’ve got to be cognizant of that and face it head-on, and tonight is a great first step.”
Panelists at the Human Trafficking Forum included Sgt. Ian Buchanan, BAPD, Det. Chris Pellegrino, BAPD, Sharon James, BAPS Executive Director of Secondary Education, Kristin Weiss, Co-Founder/CEO of The Demand Project, Craig Williams, Oklahoma Department of Narcotics, Geri Wisner, Muscogee (Creek) Nation Attorney General.
The forum’s target audience was parents, and over 100 people attended the event.
“We as a department wanted to get some experts together to talk about the subject of human trafficking,” Police Chief Brandon Berryhill said. “We thought it was important to contextualize that information into what human trafficking looks like in a suburb. What does it look like in Broken Arrow?”
Taking advantage of vulnerable people for monetary gain by force, fraud, or coercion is the definition of human trafficking. Berryhill said the forum aims to give people an understanding of the dangers that can happen and make people aware of available resources.
Broken Arrow Det. Chris Pellegrino recommended keeping open communication with your children and auditing all app messaging. Most of these types of crimes could be eliminated if it were not for cell phones.
“These mobile devices give your child access to the world, but it also gives the world access to your children,” Pellegrino said.
Parents need to be able to access their children’s apps and know their passwords and usernames.
“Anytime there is a chat feature involved, it’s a kind of stranger portal into your house,” Pelligrino said.
Sharon James, Executive Director of Secondary Instruction at Broken Arrow Public Schools, says that by understanding youth risk factors, school counselors, teachers, and principals are better positioned to prevent students from being trafficked.
Some youth vulnerabilities human traffickers target include poverty, homelessness, foster care, a lack of support networks, gang involvement, low self-esteem, substance abuse and addictions, traumatic events, or sexual abuse.
“If a boyfriend or girlfriend is noticeably older or if a kid comes into a lot of money or a job that seems too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true,” James said.
Potential signs of grooming include:
- Unexpected gifts
- Changing online passwords
- Changes in behavior, appearance, and/or social interaction
- Anxiety and anger linked to restrictions of online activity
- Declining grades and a lack of interest in school activities
- Checking their phones obsessively
- Changes in friendships or becoming isolated
Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics Chief Agent Craig Williams says human traffickers most often do not look like what you’d think.
“Unfortunately, in my experience, a lot of traffickers are actually pretty charming, and they look just like everyone else in this room,” Williams said.
Muscogee (Creek) Nation Attorney General Geri Wisner agreed and said, “Those perpetrators are going to be good-looking, and they’re going to be flashy. Their lifestyle is fast and attractive to their victims.”
Online gaming also attracts perpetrators according to Williams.
“They get into a game and start chatting,” Williams said. “You will have adults acting like they are children or acting like they are teenagers in those game rooms and the chats. They will game and groom for a long period of time.”
Williams warns movie storylines like “Taken” often do a disservice to discovering actual human trafficking victims. It makes people think it only happens far away, with a girl drugged and victimized in a small room.
“We’ve had several cases in which the trafficking victim is still in school. They are going home at night,” he said. “They’ll have their time with the trafficker, run the dates, and go back and forth.”
Kristin Weiss of The Demand Project says kids are becoming the number one producers of child pornography by taking selfies. The Demand Project, based in Oklahoma, has the largest campus in the U.S. for girl victims of human trafficking, ages 11-17.
Human Trafficking victimization increased during the pandemic as more people were indoors and kids were on their phones and computers 24/7.
And Weiss agreed with the other panelists who said parents must have safeguards in place regarding technology. She recommends a tech intervention or a tech detox. She also suggests having children sign a contract explaining parental expectations for keeping a phone.
“If your child is under age 18, who owns the phone?” asked Weiss.
She says that vulnerability can lead to online luring and grooming, and they will eventually want to meet.
To watch the Human Trafficking Forum in its entirety, go to Facebook.com/brokenarrowpolice.