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NOW-NYC Campaign: Ending the Business of Human Trafficking in NYC
Our Campaign-A Brief OverviewLaunched in the Fall of 2006, NOW-NYC's human trafficking campaign set out to get a state law that recognized trafficking as a crime, increase public education on this modern-day slavery, collect trafficking victims stories, access how state agencies are identifying, tracking and prioritizing this issue, and shed light on how the trafficking industry is a part of the local economy and identify the legitimate businesses that do business with traffickers.
What many people are surprised to learn is that this modern-day form of slavery is happening right here in the U.S. and throughout New York State and most likely, in the neighborhoods where you work and live. In fact, JFK Airport is a main gateway used by traffickers to bring in victims. Read more...
Traffickers brazenly operate in our neighborhoods, advertise in our newspapers, set up makeshift brothels known as “10 day houses” and supply existing massage parlors, brothels and escort services. High profit margins coupled with negligible-to-low risk of arrest and prosecution have led to the proliferation of organized prostitution and labor exploitation in urban, rural and suburban areas of New York.
NOW-NYC and the New York State Anti-Trafficking Coalition have been working to change that. After a year of rallies, public forums, meetings with legislators, law enforcement and Governor Spitzer’s new team in Albany, our campaign hit a milestone with the passage of a new anti-trafficking law we worked hard to pass. This victory gives us the opportunity to change the landscape that makes New York a hospitable place for trafficking. Read more…
New York's New Anti-Trafficking LawHow well the new state law will actually combat trafficking depends on the financial and intellectual resources that are put behind it. Now that we have the strongest law in the nation, it is critical that the law is implemented. This is essential if we’re going to obtain measurable results in the war on organized sex and labor exploitation.
A new law on the books doesn’t automatically translate into district attorneys seeking indictments. They have to make it a priority. Judges and prosecutors need training on how to apply the new statute. Cops need more than a 30-minute video presentation to understand how traffickers operate and how to identify a victim. Service providers need grants for shelter, healthcare and psychological therapy to assist victims.
What's next?NOW-NYC is going to continue to be on the frontline making sure the mandates of this legislation are enforced. We’re going to lobby our leaders to ensure adequate funding is allocated to the trafficking issue. A great deal of training is needed and services for victims must be in place.
It won’t be easy. Much like the Domestic Violence movement 25 years ago when this phenomenon didn’t have a name, much less cultural understanding, it will take the dedicated work of activists and the NOW-NYC team to raise awareness and convince legislator, law enforcement, prosecutors and the courts, this issue deserves to be a priority for civil rights.
We’ve had an evolution of domestic violence laws that have been enacted over the years to protect women, children, and even pets in situations of domestic violence. The movement to criminalize trafficking, rescue victims, create benchmarks and a system to track how well the criminal justice system in New York is faring in battling trafficking is a new frontier. NOW-NYC is proud to make this a priority issue and we promise to continue to bring passion, perseverance and dedication to ensuring progress.
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Questions? Email: contact@nownyc.org | Phone: 212.627.9895 NOW-NYC 150 West 28th Street, Suite 304, NYC |
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