MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul today announced the results of the 2019 Law Enforcement Assessment of Sex Trafficking in Wisconsin (the Assessment) alongside survivor advocates, law enforcement, and community leaders. January is also Human Trafficking Awareness month.

“This report will help improve understanding about how human trafficking is being addressed by law enforcement in Wisconsin,” said Attorney General Kaul. “As the report shows, there has been an increased recognition of the prevalence of human trafficking. We must continue working to raise awareness about this terrible crime and investing in efforts to fight it.”

The Assessment consists of a Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) administered survey of law enforcement agencies to gather information about their perceptions, policies, and data entering practices related to human trafficking incidents in their jurisdictions. The Assessment survey consisted of two sections: one section requesting records shared through Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) data relating to incident/charge counts, and another section requesting policies, procedures and opinions from the head of the agency (HOA).

As found in the Executive Summary of the report, analysis of the data led to five key findings that include:

1. UCR Program human trafficking data is inconsistent across the state and more incomplete than previously believed.
2. Respondents report human trafficking is occurring in Wisconsin, but quantification of incidents remain a challenge because of differing policies across the state.
3. Law enforcement report desire and need for training on how to differentiate between prostitution and sex trafficking.
4. Many agencies would benefit from training about the child sex trafficking and the related statutes.
5. Over 90% of chiefs and sheriffs refer victims of suspected trafficking of a child to the local child welfare agency, and refer adult or juvenile victims of human trafficking for services.

With this data, Wisconsin Department of Justice and local law enforcement will be better able to address human trafficking across the state.

The full report can be found here.