Shelby County officials work to combat human trafficking

Human trafficking is an issue that, contrary to stereotype, can affect vulnerable people anywhere, even in communities such as Shelby County. It is the fastest growing and second largest criminal activity in the world. Birmingham and surrounding areas bordered by interstates and major roadways are a popular spot for this crime.

Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud or coercion to cause a person to perform either labor or a commercial sex act.

Each year, millions of men, women and children are victimized by traffickers worldwide as part of an estimated $150 billion market second only to illegal drugs. Dozens of cases are reported annually in Alabama, but the actual number of victims is likely much higher as most cases go unreported, according to law enforcement.

To heighten awareness, the Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force sponsored Jan. 11 as Alabama Human Trafficking Awareness Day for the eighth year. They garnered support from mayors across the state who were asked to sign proclamations in observance of National Human Trafficking Awareness Month in January. Chelsea Mayor Tony Picklesimer signed the proclamation during a January City Council meeting.

“Human trafficking is a modern form of slavery. It is a truly heinous crime, committed in the shadows — and in plain sight,” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said in a January news release that coincided with Human Trafficking Awareness Month. “The victims are not limited to women and children, but include members of every age, sex and demographic.”

Specific numbers are hard to quantify because many cases are not reported, but the Department of Homeland Security estimates the commercial sex industry generates $110 million each year in the Birmingham-metro area. This does not include illegal activity that occurs in massage parlors or strip clubs, nor does it include child trafficking estimates as that is more difficult to quantify.

The U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking reported 90% or more people who are prostituted are actually being trafficked and advocates believe that number in Alabama is even higher.

The greater Birmingham area —where several highways converge — is a crossroads for this activity and has been dubbed the “human trafficking superhighway.”

This is due to the city being a hub of transportation networks and interstate highways, as well as having an international airport and being host city to major sporting, entertainment and business events, said Jan Bell, co-founder of the Child Trafficking Solutions Project.

With the arrival of The World Games in July in Birmingham and several participating venues in Shelby County, trafficking could see “a tremendous uptick,” Bell said.

This is not a new problem, but one that agencies in Shelby County have been dealing with for years. Here is a look at several local entities involved in the fight against trafficking.

Shelby County Sheriff’s Department

Major Clay Hammac of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department said he would argue that human trafficking is the largest criminal enterprise on the face of the planet.

“This is one of those uncomfortable truths we have to share with the public to make sure our community is being vigilant and partnering with us and identifying the signs and signals of human trafficking, which often happens right in front of our eyes, Hammac said.

With his involvement in the Drug Enforcement Task Force, Hammac said it was brought to their attention that there was a problem with sex trafficking along the major thoroughfares that touch the interstate, including U.S. 280, Interstates 65 and 20, and his team wanted to be proactive and aggressive with addressing those threats.

He said when they began looking into the matter, it was far more complex than traditional prostitution and it was quickly made clear it was a far greater network and father reaching that they ever imagined.

“There are traveling groups in which young ladies and men are being trafficked for sexual servitude for profit along these major roadways,” Hammac said. “They went all across the state and would hit three to five states total, stopping at major off ramps.”

When they performed their first operation, a reverse prostitution sting, their intent was to go after the “Johns,” a slang term given to those who patronize paid sex workers. He said they were not naive to believe they could put an end to human trafficking in Shelby County, but the goal was to make this as uncomfortable as possible for “Johns” to patronize this area and dry up the demand in order to keep our community safer. The operation lasted over a year and around 50 arrests of various “Johns” were made.

Wanting to do more than just the “enforcement approach,” Hammac wanted to take an aggressive stance on education and prevention, so he reached out and visited all of the local hotels on U.S. 280 and around I-65 and invited them to a day of training in what human trafficking looks like.

The event was at Asbury United Methodist Church, and a full sanctuary of hotel staff learned what signs to look for and what to do if they suspect someone is a victim of trafficking. Hammac said it was a very fruitful meeting where they engaged in serious dialogue. He said the FBI has utilized partnerships in local hotel operations and it has been successful as well.

“We have established great relationships with local hotels and they have been very good about reaching out to the Drug Enforcement Task Force when they have questions and we usually follow through really quickly,” Hammac said.

Hammac said residents of many local communities never think about human trafficking being an issue where they live. While some people don’t want to get involved, he said the greatest tool for law enforcement when rescuing people from trafficking is the partnership with citizens they serve.

“From a community standpoint, as readers look at this, hopefully it shocks their conscience,” Hammac said. “We should never be comfortable with this idea or the fact that this exists locally. If anything makes them question the next time they see something that just does not look quite right, it’s never a burden to reach out to law enforcement.”

Anonymous tips can be left for the Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force via phone at 205-670-0436, its website http://dtf.shelbyal.com or on the SCSO app.

Blanket Fort Hope

A nonprofit located in Shelby County, the mission of Blanket Fort Hope is to restore hope in the lives of child sex trafficking survivors through access to essential services, compassionate care and a loving Christian witness. While they work with children, the majority of their clients range from 16-18 years old. They have trained over 6,000 individuals to compassionately respond and identify child sex trafficking survivors.

“There are more than 5,700 child victims of sex trafficking in Alabama every year, the majority of which never self-identify,” BFH Executive Director Alexis James said. “The ones that do find themselves in homes unequipped to care for the intense trauma they have experienced. This Restoration Home will provide for their basic and therapeutic needs, while maintaining a loving Christian witness that will accept any child, regardless of background.”

Currently located in Pelham, BFH recently purchased 73 acres of land off Shelby County 25 in Columbiana, just a short drive from Chelsea, where it will build a Restoration Home and offices.

James said statistics show that every time a child is rescued from a trafficking situation and put into a non-therapeutic home, there is an 80% chance that child will run away, inevitably returning to their trafficker for “safety.” The Restoration Home will provide a place for them to live for a temporary time, around six to nine months, and also get the help they need.

There are fewer than 700 beds nationwide, and fewer than 25 beds proposed for Alabama in the next two years. BFH will be able to serve nine child survivors at a time, with the ability to expand that reach with the construction of additional Therapeutic Foster Care Cottages.

Construction is set to begin this year and is projected to cost around $1.2 million. This will cover construction and first year staffing. Restoration costs for each child is estimated to be around $2,500 per month.

Blanket Fort Hope is also heading up the training for the staff and volunteers of The World Games. They will be putting together a presentation in collaboration with the state and other agencies.

“We had to be more in-depth about what this looks like,” James said. “The people out there working, we need for them to understand what to look for and we want to make sure they have every tool possible to recognize what trafficking looks like and what their next steps should be.”

In addition to helping victims, Blanket Fort Hope also offers training. Their community training program helps people understand the realities of child sex trafficking in Alabama, while their professional training is for foster care families and professionals to help them respond to the trauma experienced by sex trafficking survivors.

Shelby County DHR

Kim Mashego, director of Shelby County DHR, said their department works in collaboration with law enforcement, child advocacy center Owen’s House and the Shelby County District Attorney.

“Our main goal at DHR is assessment, identification of the young person who may have been trafficked and providing services to them and their family,” Mashego said. “One of the things we are learning more about is that victims don’t self identify.”

DHR works to provide temporary foster care services, medical services, the assessment of any other services that might be needed including trauma, medical and returning to their family. They also work with Family Connections, which can provide a temporary shelter.

“I think this is something occurring on a daily basis,” Mashego said. “Some people are initially approached by their peers and brought into this. As a community, we need to continue to be aware and look for signs and make reports of abuse or neglect and make a report to DHR or local law enforcement.”

Owen’s House

Maribeth Bowman is a forensic interviewer and multidisciplinary team coordinator at Owen’s House where their mission is to assess and intervene to prevent child abuse within Shelby County. They have a  multidisciplinary team made up of specially trained individuals who investigate crimes against children and vulnerable adults in Shelby County. They provide forensic interviews, family support, counseling and body safety education programs within Shelby County and Pelham City Schools, reaching about 7,000 students per year.

“Human trafficking comes to us in various ways,” Bowman said. “It’s always kind of an assumption that things like this don’t happen in Shelby County. People think it’s a huge underground network, when in reality a lot of what we see is a boyfriend taking advantage of his girlfriend or interfamily trafficking where a mom is selling her daughter for money or drugs.”

At Owen’s House, Bowman said they coordinate a team to investigate, provide forensic interviews and services along with trauma-focused counseling that victims need. Counselors there do over 1,000 sessions each year.

“What we see in child abuse is that 90% of offenders are known by their victims, it’s not always strangers you should be afraid of, it’s people you know,” Bowman said. “Offenders often groom communities specifically for that reason. They’re the people you would never expect would be a part of something like that.”

Bowman said she is excited about Blanket Fort Hope’s new facility coming to Columbiana so the child trafficking victims will have a place to stay.

To report trafficking in our coverage area, call the Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888.

– Jesse Chambers also contributed to this report.