Stopping Human Trafficking in Central Pennsylvania

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On October 5, 2015, Transitions hosted a training titled Stopping Human Trafficking in Central Pennsylvania at the Best Western Plus Country Cupboard Inn.  87 people attended, including 42 victim advocates, 16 law enforcement personnel, 13 medical professionals, 11 Children and Youth personnel, 3 prosecutors, and others.  Information was provided by Viktoria Kristiansson, Attorney Advisor for Aequitas: The Prosecutors’ Resource for Violence Against Women; Detective William Woolf with Fairfax County, Virginia; and D. Peter Johnson, Union County District Attorney.  Participants learned how to identify victims and perpetrators of human trafficking, how to successfully investigate human trafficking cases, and possible strategies at trial and sentencing.  Act 105, Pennsylvania’s human trafficking law, and new protections for victims, including Sexual Violence Protection Orders and Protection from Intimidation Orders were also reviewed.  This training was made possible by a grant from Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency for the STOP Formula Grant Program whose goal is to provide services and training to officers and prosecutors.  According to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, they have received 248 calls from January 1, 2015 until June 30, 2015, reporting 56 human trafficking cases.  Their 24-hour hotline number is 1-888-373-7888.  Transitions is a crisis center that provides services, advocacy and counseling to victims of crime, including human trafficking.  Their 24-hour hotline number is 1-800-850-7948.  

Visit The National Human Trafficking Resource Center to get more information about human trafficking in Pennsylvania.

Pictured: Viktoria Kristiansson, Attorney Adviser with Aequitas.
Pictured Left to Right Clockwise, Viktoria Kristiansson, Attorney Adviser with Aequitas; Susan Mathias, CEO with Transitions; Bill Woolf, Detective with Fairfax County, VA; D. Peter Johnson, Union County District Attorney.

Written by Katy Koser

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