Hennepin County is expanding a program that's not yet one year old, that helps victims of sex trafficking or domestic abuse.
WCCO Radio's Susie Jones has part two of her report on Safe Spaces.
There are phones located in the bathrooms in the Hennepin County Government Center, offering victims of human trafficking and abuse a way to discreetly alert a county employee that they need help.
"It's definitely challenging, especially in these Cold Purple (missing child) instances," says Joe Babel, a security officer in Hennepin County.
Babel says he's responded to a number of calls from victims of domestic abuse or sex trafficking.
"Sometimes, you don't know if the abuser's right there," Babel says. "Our protocol is two officers to respond. That way, you know, one person can be meeting with the victim and getting the information. But also if there is a person waiting, if there's another person involved, it's good to have another officer to address that person because sometimes they're waiting outside."
So far more than 1,000 employees have been trained on how to respond and provide resources."
Space Spaces started in 2022, and was originally in just four Hennepin County buildings: Minneapolis Central Library, Health Services Building and South Minneapolis Human Service Center along with Government Center. That has now expanded to eight buildings.
Part Three of WCCO's "Safe Spaces" will focus on the emotional, sometimes scary, impact on victims who are trying to leave abusive situations. More on that Thursday.