Page 53 - 1Proactive Policing

Pro-Active Policing

 Labor trafficking identification and investigations: Unlike sex trafficking, labor trafficking

investigations are less clear cut. It is an emerging and dynamic area that takes creativity to
address. One strategy to consider is partnering with key stakeholders, such as labor or
code compliance inspectors, who may have more access and the ability to identify cases if

given proper training.
 Every task force needs to work both labor and sex trafficking cases effectively. Task forces

that are more advanced are able to conduct a larger number of proactive investigations.
Using proactive techniques in reactive cases often leads to the intelligence those later
forms the basis of longer term ―spin-off‖ investigations. Proactive case leads also often

arise from red-flag trainings, street outreach, task force relationships, and partnerships. It
all works in concert—bringing public awareness of human trafficking and doing direct
outreach to stakeholders, such as utility workers, hotel employees, emergency room staff,

school personnel, and others, can help build cases for law enforcement.

A human trafficking investigation entails three phases: pre-operational, operational, and post-
operational.

 The pre-operational phase involves the foundational portions of the investigation that pose

little to no risk of discovery by the targets.
 The operational phase begins once the investigators actually engage the targets with
covert actions or tools, and continues through the arrest and takedown of the human

trafficking operation itself.
 The post-operational phase includes all post-arrest aspects of the case.

Even though the three phases are sequential in nature, no case develops exactly as planned and

different aspects or targets within a single proactive case can fall within multiple phases at the
same time. Therefore, using the ―three-phase‖ proactive terminology allows investigators and
prosecutors to explain the status of pending cases to their chains of command and provide more

accurate estimates of costs and timing, which helps to justify the allocation of resources during
the investigation.

Call takers:

Initial telephone contact between victims and witnesses with the police service should be
regarded as the start of the investigative process. The call is an opportunity to obtain accurate

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