SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — Specially trained detectives are part of a new unit in the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office that focuses on curbing human trafficking crimes.
Only about two dozen human trafficking cases have been prosecuted in the Garden State since 2018. The relationship between victim and abuser isn’t always clear to passersby, and most cases go unreported.
Attorney General Matt Platkin said the new Human Trafficking Unit will be laser-focused on discovering and dismantling criminal networks, holding people accountable for their crimes, and providing support to victims.
“Victims and survivors of human trafficking have suffered unimaginable traumas,” he said. “I feel very strongly that it’s worth devoting significant resources toward.”
Platkin acknowledges the issue is certainly bigger than statistics show. According to the FBI, New Jersey is a hub for human trafficking due to its proximity to both New York and Philadelphia.
Victims are often girls and young women who end up suffering sexual violence and all sorts of physical and emotional abuse in silence.
“These detectives are trained in identifying signs of trauma and identifying signs of human trafficking,” Platkin explained. “They’re trained with a trauma-informed approach as to how to deal with those survivors and make sure that they’re given the appropriate care.
“These are tough cases to make, but they are absolutely worth making.”