Erie County Sheriff's Office continues focus on human trafficking

By Sheriff John C. Garcia

Erie County Sheriff’s Office

As we kick off a new year, the men and women of the Erie County Sheriff’s Office continue to amaze me with their dedication, professionalism and integrity. I am proud of everything they have accomplished in 2024, and look forward to seeing what they achieve in 2025. I thank them, and you, for support of my staff as we continue to serve you.

Human trafficking is one of the important topics we focused on last year. January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. It is an important issue to highlight, as there are often misconceptions associated with it. Human trafficking is not what you see portrayed in the movies, on television or even on social media.

Rather, it is a crime of exploitation through force, fraud or coercion. Its victims require a trauma-informed and victim-centered response. In addition to conducting investigations, it is necessary for our deputies to connect them with our community partners so they can receive the care they need.

The Erie County Sheriff’s Office is proud to be the law enforcement lead for the Western District of New York – Human Trafficking Task Force. In this role, we partner with the Department of Justice to serve 17 counties across Western New York. Not only do we receive referrals for criminal investigation from non-governmental organizations, but we also receive, evaluate and disseminate all tips obtained through the National Human Trafficking Hotline, Polaris Project, Crime Stoppers and various other websites and agencies.

This is just another example of the Erie County Sheriff’s Office serving as a regional asset to neighbors across Western New York.

Awareness is a critical component of how we address this issue. Throughout 2024, we conducted extensive training and outreach. In all, we held 24 events, instructing more than 1,300 people on human trafficking awareness and investigations. These events focused on community partners in the medical, banking, hospitality, child and family services, and law enforcement fields. We proudly partnered with the Seneca Nation of Indians so that its hospitality employees could be trained on the drivers and indicators of trafficking.

If someone you know is a human trafficking victim, you can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. Services are free and confidential.

As we enter a new year, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office will continue to focus on this important topic. We are thankful for the support of our partners and you – the residents we serve.