Department of Justice Releases E-Tool to Fight Human Trafficking


Attorney General of the United States, Eric Holder has announced the launch of an e-tool that will assist police officers in the fight against human trafficking. A release issued recently by the Department of Justice revealed that the tool was developed as a joint project by the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Office of Justice Programs, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).

Holder who made the announcement on October 27, 2014 at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference stated that the tool will “strengthen anti-human trafficking task forces now in operation across the country.” He added that the web-based resource combines case examples, training, victim service, and practical advice on a single site.

Furthermore, a large portion of the site is dedicated to aiding the development of human trafficking task forces. It has been designed for easy use on mobile devices so that officers can consult it while on the go to access and print PDF forms for training.

Features of the site include local and national assistance options, lists of victim’s service providers, and fundraising opportunities for victims. Content was compiled after consulting law enforcement professionals, victim’s assistance groups, and other allied professionals.

In a message to site users, Joye E. Frost and Denise E. O’Donnell, directors of OVC and BJA said the site will be a “living document, continually updated to ensure it reflects the most current information possible.”

For more information, visit https://www.ovcttac.gov/taskforceguide/eguide/welcome-letters/.