The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) was one of 14 groups on hand in Los Angeles in February with the goal of rescuing human trafficking victims, and early figures show 65 adults and seven minors were recovered. Some were helped out of the business, while others were in jail one night before going back into the trade.
"The biggest part [is] for at least that one night for them to know that there's somebody that cares, and if and when they do determine to leave the life, they know where to go," NCOSE spokesperson Dr. Stephany Powell tells American Family News. "They know that there's organizations that are out there to help them."
Police jailed 30 suspected traffickers and exploiters, and 182 men were arrested on charges of solicitation.
"There were some arrests of some johns," Dr. Powell notes. "What we have seen is that for the most part, those that have gotten arrested were men that worked, they were men that were married, and them getting arrested was a wake-up call."
The 14 LA-based organizations recruited more than 100 volunteers to provide resources, join outreach efforts, answer a 24-hour trafficking hotline, pack over 1,500 outreach kits, and provide crucial training to law enforcement and local business leaders about how to identify victims of human trafficking. Also, 14 outreaches to prostituted women were conducted on the streets near strip clubs and motels. More than 1,000 women were reached and provided with services, supplies, and hotline information.
Powell asserts that NCOSE works all throughout the year, not just during the Super Bowl. But the fact remains that where there is a major event, there is a demand for commercial sex, which means there will be trafficked people who need to be ministered to and provided with information on how to get out of the trade.
