(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate says police often classify cases of human trafficking as some other type of offense, like a drug crime, but hotlines are fielding more reports about people being forced into all types of labor.  “People are calling it in now and either saying: ‘I’m a victim and I need help,’ or ‘We saw something you need to be aware of,'” Pate says. “Those numbers are going up significantly every year and a lot of that I think is attributed to what we’re doing and others are doing to put more awareness out there.”

On Tuesday, Pate and a manager of the federal government anti-human trafficking campaign hosted a seminar for more than 100 people — mostly Iowans — to discuss the warning signs. Tom Ruck of the U-S Department of Homeland Security says an estimated 750-thousand predators are online. “They’re looking for that vulnerable person. They’re looking for somebody they can easily groom or they can become a boyfriend to or a girlfriend to,” Ruck said. “…The indicators could be just simply if it doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t.”

Iowa’s secretary of state launched an anti-human trafficking campaign in 2022, encouraging Iowa businesses to train employees to recognize the signs of human trafficking. Pate’s office is in charge of Iowa’s “Safe at Home” program which provides confidential addresses that survivors of human trafficking and other types of abuse, like stalking, can use to make it harder for their abusers to find them.

(Left) Tom Ruck from U.S. Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign., & Iowa Sec. of State Paul Pate. (Photo from the Sec. of State Facebook page)

July 30 is World Day Against Trafficking. Pate says you can ‘Do Something’ and help use the day of action to raise awareness about this crime and ways to prevent it. If you’re passionate about making a difference, join us at ibat.iowa.gov