Governor Jim Pillen and state officials held a press conference Tuesday to designate January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Pillen was joined by Attorney General Mike Hilgers, members of his human trafficking taskforce, and State Patrol Superintendent Colonel John Bolduc.
Points of notice in the conference came when discussing whether or not human trafficking in Nebraska is on the rise. At the podium, Bolduc said, “Are we seeing more human trafficking? Are we seeing more tips, more prosecutions, more investigations? The short answer is yes.”
Bolduc pointed out that he was unsure if the state is awash in trafficking or if this is a result of education of the public.
Glenn Parks, the taskforce’s coordinator, said that they’ve achieved more convictions of sex trafficking defendants than ever before, but it’s hard to say whether or not human trafficking is occurring at higher rates.
“There isn’t a lot of evidence about how much trafficking [existed] when we started and exists now. We are getting better at uncovering it, and that’s what I’m really excited about. That’s our task.”
In October, the state of Nebraska launched a new, local hotline designed for the public to report suspected sex trafficking or labor trafficking. The Nebraska Human Trafficking Hotline can be reached 24 hours per day at 833-PLS-LOOK (833-757-5665).