In partnership with the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, the Criminal Justice Club at St. Joseph’s University, New York’s Long Island Campus hosted a presentation about the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office’s Anti-Trafficking Initiative.
Guest speakers at the event were Investigator Sergeant Erin Williamson and Investigative Deputies Kellie Burghardt and Christine Fanning, who work with the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office to combat human trafficking on Long Island.
“The Anti-Trafficking Initiative (S.A.T.I.), was the first correctional-based program in the nation dedicated to combating human trafficking,” said Taylor Burns, president of SJNY’s Criminal Justice Club.
Human trafficking, one of the most prominent crimes in the United States, can be defined as a group of crimes hinging on the exploitation of men, women and children for financial gain, and holding someone in compelled service using whatever means necessary, whether it’s physical or psychological.
“The general public does not realize this is going on everywhere, in all of our towns,” said Sergeant Williamson. “It’s not the rinky-dink motels anymore, it’s the larger hotels too. A lot of it is being done in homes. A lot of it is being done in cars and this poses a problem for the S.A.T.I. because some people don’t realize they are a victim of this crime.”
Williamson said victims could be anybody with vulnerability. Any age, race or gender and having such wide demographics makes it easier for anyone to get trafficked at any time.
According to SCPD, New York has one of the highest numbers of human trafficking survivors, and a large contributor to human trafficking is the opioid crisis that has been affecting Long Island since 2008.
There are many things we can do to prevent human trafficking from happening.
“If you ever suspect anything, no matter how silly you may think it is, if you have that gut feeling that something’s not right with one of your friends or family members, there’s usually something to it,” said Bennett. “Follow your gut and just make a phone call.”
The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department can be reached at 631.852.2200 or if there is immediate aid needed, call 911.
