Thurston Board of Health pledges to educate, provide resources to fight human trafficking
A local nonprofit that helps survivors of human trafficking says it served 115 clients that identified primarily as Thurston County residents in 2024.
Innovations Human Trafficking Collaborative (IHTC) shared data with the Thurston County Board of Health last week, just before the board proclaimed January Human Trafficking Prevention Month.
The data was labeled as “self reported,” so it does not capture a full picture of how many Thurston County residents experienced human trafficking in 2024. Nevertheless, the data gives a sense of what kinds of human trafficking people have experienced as well as contributing factors.
A subset of 59 people told IHTC the kinds of victimization they experienced between July and September 2024. The data shows 51 people reported experiencing physical assault, 51 reported experiencing domestic and/or family violence, 47 reported experiencing adult sexual assault, and 36 reported experiencing stalking/harassment.
Additionally, 45 said they experienced sexual abuse/assault as children, 48 said they experienced child physical abuse or neglect, and 23 said they experienced teen dating victimization.
Lastly, 35 identified as being unhoused or unsheltered, 42 identified as having a substance use disorder, and 51 identified as having a cognitive, physical and/or mental disability.
The proclamation the Board of Health passed largely serves to raise awareness and educate on human trafficking. As such, it includes several additional data points.
From 2007 to 2023, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received 8,431 signals in Washington state. That includes hotline calls, online reports, web chats, text messages, reports and emails.
In 2023, the hotline says it received 582 signals in Washington state and 160 of those signals were from victims or survivors of human trafficking. No data for 2024 was available yet.
An estimated 27.6 million people are subjected to human trafficking around the world, including in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of State.
The Board of Health also committed to addressing the issue with resources and community partnerships, but no specific or imminent action was mentioned in the proclamation.
Still, Chelsea Keefe, a program manager at IHTC, told the board that the proclamation makes a “big impact” in the community.
“Not everyone realizes that trafficking occurs on large and small scales,” Keefe said. “It can be something that happens within the context of an intimate partner relationship, and that’s something that we see a lot here in Thurston County.”
Keefe said domestic violence can turn into human trafficking and many survivors do not understand or do not see themselves as trafficking survivors.
“So, awareness like this really makes a difference,” Keefe said. “It allows our survivors to see themselves within that context. It allows them to understand where they are, that they can get help, and that we offer it at Innovations (IHTC).”
The U.S. Department of State says human trafficking includes both forced labor and sex trafficking. Keefe said people who experience labor trafficking often move through the area at local ports and via Interstate 5.
Keefe said a majority of the people IHTC serves have experienced sex trafficking, but the nonprofit also helps survivors of labor trafficking. In either case, Keefe said traffickers want an easy way out when they set up in an area.
“Trafficking occurs where traffickers are able to get in and out quickly,” Keefe said. “They often move survivors when they feel that law enforcement or the communities are on to them, that they might start addressing trafficking.”
The IHTC website lists many red flags and indicators for sex and labor trafficking as well as crisis hotlines and resources for victims.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline can be reached at 888-373-7888. IHTC can be contacted at 833-201-0949 or at info@innovationshtc.org.
