Sheboygan Police

Human Trafficking

The Sheboygan Police Department prioritizes the awareness, prevention and identification of human trafficking in our community.  Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act.  Human trafficking is a discreet crime that is difficult to identify.  Victims of human trafficking rarely report victimization due to fear, mistrust of support resources, language barriers or not self-identifying as a victim.  Human trafficking is often a misunderstood crime, which at times makes it difficult for victims to realize that they are a human trafficking victim.

Trafficking suspects lure victims by building trust with them.  Traffickers make false promises about fame, wealth or opportunity.  Often this involves force, fraud or coercion.

Trafficking suspects often target those struggling economically or socially.  They also prefer to prey on individuals who don’t have a social safety net or responsible people in their life.  This often involves our child runaway population, which is at a greater risk to victimization.

Sex trafficking is the exploitation of a person for commercial sex through force, fraud, or coercion. It also includes the recruitment, harboring, transportation, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for commercial sex if they are under 18 years of age.

Labor trafficking is the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain a person’s labor or services for the purpose of involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.

Some Indicators Concerning a Potential Victim Include:

  • The victim acts fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense or nervous/paranoid.
  • The victim defers to another person to speak for him/her.
  • The victim has few or no personal possessions.
  • The victim shows signs of abuse (physical & sexual).
  • The victim can’t freely contact friends or family.
  • The victim has limited freedom to socialize, has unreasonable security measures.
  • The victim is working excessively long and/or unusual hours.
  • The victim’s salary is being garnished to pay off a “fee.”
  • The victim has been forced to perform sexual acts.
  • The victim is a juvenile engaged in commercial sex.
  • The victim is exhibiting sexual activity online with known or unknown people.

Wisconsin Child Sex Trafficking Indicator and Response Guide

WHAT WE ARE DOING ABOUT THIS IN OUR COMMUNITY

The Sheboygan Police Department is a member of the Sheboygan County Human Trafficking Task Force (SCHTTF), which provides education and prevention services to our community.  SCHTTF also meets with and provides resources to vulnerable individuals in our community who are at risk to human trafficking victimization.

The Sheboygan Police Department is also a member of the Sheboygan County At-Risk Youth Diversion Team which regularly meets to identify vulnerable children who are at-risk to victimization.  This includes our youth who often voluntarily leave home, as there is an increased risk with runaway youth to become a trafficking victim.  The team provides resources to vulnerable youth and their families to prevent criminal victimization from taking place.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

If you suspect a person may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact:

If you are a victim, there IS HELP! Contact: