January was National Human Trafficking Awareness month. According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline which received 26,727 calls in 2016, the number of reported cases increased by 37% last year. Like so many other organizations in the nation we joined in the efforts to spread the word about this modern form of slavery which – sad, but true – is the second largest criminal industry in the US. In addition, fighting the exploitation of victims for labor and sex is of particular importance in the state of Texas since the I-10 corridor spanning the Greater Houston Area is a major hub for trafficking people.

• We shed light on facts, misconceptions and signs of Human Trafficking.
• We shared insights and experts’ perspectives on Human Trafficking (contributed by Natasha Paradeshi, Co-founder/Executive Director at The Landing, and Angelic G. Setchell, M.Ed., LPC, Anti-Violence Program Specialist at The Montrose Center): read here.
• We hosted an eye-opening screening of the documentary “Not My Life: Human Trafficking at Home and Abroad” which depicts the cruel and dehumanizing practices of human trafficking and modern slavery on a global scale.
• We educated students all around the Great Houston Area about this dangerous form of crime which is often disguised: click here for the students’ video on Human Trafficking we showed as part of a video conference in January.

A further focus of the month of course circled around the 2017 Super Bowl.We reached out to Houston’s citizens to help prepare for one of this year’s highlights in our city which unfortunately also came with some safety concerns. Through blogs, TV and radio interviews and social media postings we shared safety reminders to make sure this exciting Sunday was a safe one too.

As part of our prevention program we continued to educate the public on prevailing and timely safety issues:
Crime Stoppers Executive Director Rania Mankarious discussed cybersafety including important tips on how to protect your personal information on KPRC2/Click2Houston Houston Life (click here to watch the segment). On her weekly blog with The Buzz Magazines she dug even deeper into the safety concerns regarding “smart homes” and every-day technology (read here).
She also touched on last month’s vandalism case at Memorial High School, Hedwig Village, Texas (read here), and talked to Houston Newsmakers’ Khambrel Marshall at KPRC2/Click2Houston about the future of Crime Stoppers and the impact of our community service for our city, our law enforcement partners, our schools, our businesses, and more.
Additionally, we presented at the 13th Annual Local Government Seminarhosted by Olson & Olson, LLP about the impact of media in helping us solve and prevent crime. We then joined Mayor of Houston Sylvester Turner, Council Member at Large Amanda K. Edwards, the ATF and the NFL Players’ Association for an interactive public safety learning event at Worthing High School (watch the press conference here).

Last but not least, we attended several community events to connect with Houston’s citizens and share important safety reminders (among others: The 23rd Annual MLK Grande Parade Midtown Houston and The Humble Fitness Connection Grand Opening Ribbon cutting).

 

January – the National Crime Stoppers month – marked two huge milestones for us:

On January 12th we proudly announced that we have reached 1,000,000 students through our Safe School Program. In a packed auditorium at Meyerland Performing and Visual Arts Middle School, we celebrated alongside 600+ sixth graders, teachers, Principal Sanders, Houston Independent School District PD Officers, our incredible team, Board Members (Hazem Ahmed, Lindsay Aronstein, Joe Hudson, Bryan Beene, and others), generous supporters like Sprint, Wells Fargo and others, community friends at the FBI and KPRC2/Click2Houston’s Jennifer Reyna (click here to watch).

Exactly 2 weeks later a dream came true: Together with 250+ community leaders, partners and supporters, we officially cut the ribbon and opened the doors to “The Dave Ward Building – Crime Stoppers of Houston” – the first-ever headquarters of its kind anywhere in the world! THANK YOU to all of you who joined us for this unforgettable moment and even more to all of you who deeply believe in our mission and have given so generously to this project.
Watch the video of the ceremony here and read what ED Rania Mankarious shares about the women behind the movement.

 

Apart from our crime prevention and safety education efforts this past month we continued working closely with Houston’s law enforcement to get criminals off our streets and behind bars:

On January 27th we were happy to share that the woman accused of assaulting an elderly, disabled woman in Memorial Village was captured and put in police custody. Crime Stoppers of Houston had worked closely with Memorial Villages Police Department and Chief JD Sanders on this case.

For detailed numbers on our Tip Line please read below:

During the month of January the Crime Stoppers Tip Line:

• Received 561 tips
  • 3 tips – Solved felony cases
  • 37 tips – Executed felony warrants
• Arrested 35 suspects
• Solved/executed 40 cases
• Cleared 37 offense reports
• Paid 35 anonymous tipsters
• Solved 3 school cases

Below is one of the case solved by Crime Stoppers in January:

On December 27, 2016, the complainant in this case met a female on Social Media. He would later pick her up and take her to his apartment. While at the apartment, the complainant left her in the living room and went to bathroom. When he returned, she was at the front door with his wallet and cellular telephone.

The female suspect ran from the apartment and he attempted to run after her. Once outside, the suspect and three male accomplices cut him off and prevented him from leaving. One of the male suspects pointed a gun to his face while the other two men beat him. All of the suspects then left the location in the complainant’s vehicle. In addition to this, the complainant found that several other items had been stolen, including his laptop computer. The suspects would later be arrested on an unrelated traffic stop and the property that was stolen from the complainant was recovered. The complainant was contacted and after verifying these were the same suspects, robbery charges were filed. The female suspect was allowed to post bond on the robbery but after failing to show up for court, a felony aggravated robbery warrant was filed on January 25, 2017.

On January 31, 2017, a tipster called Crime Stoppers and shared information on the location of the female suspect wanted in this case. The female suspect was ultimately found hiding in the bathroom of an apartment two doors down from where the warrant team initially checked. She got arrested and charged for Aggravated Robbery with a Deadly Weapon.

 

During the month of January, Crime Stoppers of Houston:

• Held 46 Safe School presentations and 1 video conference presentation
  • Trained 5,849 students
  • Reached 655 teachers/law enforcement members
  • Reached 46 parents

Do me a favor and count to forty—in that time period a child was reported missing in the United States. How scary is that! According to the Department of Justice, approximately 800,000 children are reported missing each year. This statistic includes the various considerations of “missing” children as in runaways and lost children. It is also heavily weighted from the unfortunate occurrences of abduction.

There are several different types of abduction, one being family abduction. This takes place by a family member, primarily a parent, and consumes the highest percentage of kidnappings in the U.S.

However, stereotypical kidnapping occurs as, “a non family abduction, perpetrated by a slight acquaintance or stranger…with the intent to keep the child permanently.” Eighty percent of these abductions occur within a quarter mile from the child’s residence. Every parent fears this. Whether it be their child not coming home from school or a call that their child didn’t make it to school. Sadly, roughly 58,000 families go through it a year. These numbers are tragic.

Talking with your kids about what to do in a situation where they are approached by a stranger is very important. In most recent news, an 11-year-old boy was very smart and got extremely lucky. On January 6, an attempted abduction occurred while a young boy was walking to school in North Harris County. The 11-year-old was walking to Hill Intermediate School along Star Peak Drive and was approached by a white van with three unfamiliar males in it. They began yelling in Spanish at the boy, “Don’t Run” while holding a fishing pole out the door. Luckily, this little boy did the right thing and ran, fleeing the scene to a safe haven. While there is surveillance video from surrounding areas, the three suspects have not been caught. How scary for this young boy and his family and what a blessing he is safe. Who knows what their next move would have been had he got any closer to the van.

Teach your children about ‘Stranger Danger’ and what to do in a situation of being approached by a stranger. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children send out more than 100 million flyers every week in which they receive 300-400 calls in return.

Pay close attention to those Amber Alerts! I know it’s common to immediately mute your phone because it’s so alarming but this program has been responsible for the safe recovery of over 720 missing children in the past 18 years. Always be attentive of those around you. You can help save a child just by taking a closer look at those flyers and becoming more aware of others in public places.

Remember Jaycee Dugard? She was abducted while walking to the bus stop and found 18 years later. Don’t give up. Don’t lose hope!

For many, hearing the words “Super Bowl” conjures thoughts of fantastic football, fabulous food, fun with friends, and flamboyant commercials. As for us Houstonians, hearing that “Super Bowl LI” is coming to our town may elicit these sentiments and some not so happy ones, like the thought of traffic at any hour given the growing construction! Despite the numerous associations we make with this event, many of us would probably never link the Super Bowl to an issue like Human Trafficking.

Surprisingly, this is not a new topic of discussion rather this form of slavery, Human Trafficking, is a reality that many people come face to face with every day. Given the persistent growing concern, some people have associated the Super Bowl with being the largest human trafficking event in the world, however the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (2011), debunked this idea. Talking about the incidents of human trafficking and the big game has been somewhat controversial as many people believe that the Super Bowl is getting a bad reputation for something that the NFL is not purposefully associated with or promoting. Rather, the polarisproject.org states that human trafficking is an issue that occurs 365 days a year, not only during the Super Bowl.  Regardless, it appears that human traffickers are using this platform as a way to sexually exploit others to make a substantial profit.

The author of In Our Backyard: Human Trafficking in America and What We Can Do to Stop It (2015), Nita Belles, clarified that at any given time about 30% of classified advertisements posted online are selling sex, however in previous years leading up to the Super Bowl this number drastically increased to about 300%. In addition, Miller, Kennedy, and Dubrawski (2016) not only found an increase in the number of online advertisements around the time of the Super Bowl, but a rise in the number of online ads also occurred during the weeks leading up to the time of other large events, like the Formula One Grand Prix. Although, we know that these ads are more than likely selling sexually based services, posters cannot explicitly advertise because then they could be arrested.

It is important to note that prostitution and human trafficking are not necessarily the same rather three factors must be present with human trafficking: force, fraud, and/or coercion. Specifically, a person may choose to engage in the sex trade; however, those who are considered trafficking victims have not made that choice. It is by force, fraud and/or coercion that they are selling sex.

It is essential to understand that there is no specific demographic that determines who is/can be trafficked, anyone is susceptible. According to the humantraffickinghotline.org, those who are at greater risk of becoming trafficked: women, children, undocumented individuals, individuals who have experienced violence and trauma, homeless adults, homeless youth, and runaways. Disturbingly, Estes & Weiner (2001) and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force go on to report that about 90% of homeless youth and runaways, 40% of them being LGBT, will be forced to engage in the sex trade industry.

Hearing these statistics can be alarming. Education and awareness are paramount to help put an end to Human Trafficking.

I recently had the privilege of attending a private screening of Trafficked, a screenplay written by Siddharth Kara, in which he states that the “sex trafficking industry alone made over 100 billion dollars last year more than Google, Intel, Microsoft, Nike, & Starbucks combined”. When looking at this in the context of Houston hosting the Super Bowl, Visithoustontexas.com reports that there will be over one million visitors including locals partaking in the festivities, which are said to bring about 350 million dollars of revenue to our city. Human traffickers may see the Super Bowl or any large scale event that has an influx of visitors with money ready and willing to be spent, as an ample opportunity.

So when you gather together to watch The Atlanta Falcons hopefully, fingers crossed, beat The New England Patriots, remember Human Trafficking does not start or stop with the Super Bowl, it is occurring every single day, not just overseas, or in New York or across the border, but it is happening in our city, towns, communities, and neighborhoods. Let’s join together and help put a stop to all Human Trafficking by learning to recognize the warning signs via https://polarisproject.org/recognize-signs, reporting incidents to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888, and/or reporting to the local law enforcement Vice Division at 713-308-8600. Also, you can learn more about what is being done in our city to help combat Human Trafficking at  http://humantraffickinghouston.org/houston-area-council-to-combat-human-trafficking/

With 89.79 million viewers, a wardrobe malfunction, and a three-point game at the 2004 Houston Super Bowl XXXVIII, what will Houston Super Bowl LI bring us? Only a few days away and several games to watch before knowing our two opponents, the only thing we can be certain of is our safety and how we can prepare for one of the most anticipated weekends of the year.

Transportation
Houstonian’s Don’t Let Houstonian’s Drive Drunk! According to ABC News, Super Bowl Sunday now makes for more dangerous driving conditions than New Year’s Eve. “In the hour after the big game ends, the danger of car crashes increases 41 percent,” with the odds of New Year’s Eve night only increasing by 10 percent. Have a designated driver in place, call a car service, or stay put until you have sobered up to drive. You can also request a safe ride through the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee app. Public transportation is another recommended tool for downtown access with extended schedules and additional shuttles. In 2004, Houston had 7.5 miles of transportation rail, increasing to 23 miles in 2017.

NFL stadium rules prohibit any alcohol to be purchased after the third quarter, allowing fans enough time to sober up before getting behind the wheel. At this time, begin consuming water to rehydrate. While outside alcohol is prohibited at NRG Stadium, all concessions will require photo ID’s for alcohol consumers.

The cities population alone consists of 6.6 million Houstonians, increasing from 5.1 in 2004. Thus, there will not only be drunk drivers to avoid, but pedestrians as well. If you are the designated driver, ensure your passengers are buckled in and avoid any distractions or speeding. Traffic and specific road closures will be dreadful so allow enough time to get to your destination. BikeHouston will also provide a bike valet at Super Bowl LIVE to store your bike while you enjoy the Houston festivities.

Hosting/attending a Super Bowl Celebration
Avoiding the traffic, crazy fans and extensive stadium prices by hosting or attending an off-site event? Have fun and remember there are still things you should be aware of!

If you’re hosting the event, collect guest’s car keys at the door and provide lots of water and nonalcoholic beverages for those driving. Do not serve anyone underage and remember party hosts can be liable “if the hosts knowingly serves alcohol to minors on their property, or if the hosts supply car keys to an intoxicated adult on the host’s property,” according to the Texas Social Host Law. Violation of this law leads to a Class A misdemeanor, $4,000 in fines, and up to one year incarceration.

Consider having coffee and dessert served in the fourth quarter to allow guest’s time to sober up and avoid making alcoholic beverage choices.

If you’re attending the event, plan where you are going to sleep whether you stay overnight or have a sober ride in place. Don’t leave anyone in your group alone or allow yourself to get pulled away. Also, never leave your drink unattended.

Social Media and Mobile Devices
How viewers share their Super Bowl emotions and experiences will differ from 2004. With Facebook and Twitter not even existing during Super Bowl XXXVIIII, please remember to think before you post! Drinking and posting could lead to repercussions that are not worth it. For positive postings and smart phone usage, NRG has installed 1,440 complimentary portable power chargers via twelve Go stations across the stadium. This way fans can continue to share their Super Bowl moments, stay charged for safe rides and communication.

Have Fun!

The Super Bowl is one of the most anticipated days of the year with approximately 112 million viewers last year. Whether your team has made it this far or not, enjoy time with friends and family and remember to always respect others around you, make smart choices and have fun!

If you see any criminal activity or unlawful behavior, make sure to report! Crime Stoppers of Houston Tip Line, 911 or any law enforcement personnel.

The existence of human trafficking in our world infuriates me to the point of action. I simply cannot sit still while there are people in slavery. This lucrative, criminal business is underground, so statistics are hard to capture; however, it is believed to be a $150 billion industry with 21 million victims worldwide^[1]. Every human trafficking situation looks different, which is why it is important to keep a sharp eye and open mind in order to dig deeper. Some victims may have bruises, distinct branded tattoos, passports taken or sudden withdrawals. Some trafficking victims have physical restraints which keep them in their situations, while others have been manipulated to the point where they believe there are no other options for them in life. Some are domestic victims and U.S. citizens, while others are foreign nationals. They can be trafficked by strangers or by family members. Traffickers and victims can be males or by females. Victims can be adults or children. Some are forced to work at elderly care facilities and some are forced to sell magazines. We must take the time to understand the complexity of this injustice.

While I have the free will to work where I want, sleep in my warm bed and have coffee dates, there are people forced to have sex with strangers for money or forced to work with little or no pay under terrible conditions. I believe that as a community we must work together with law enforcement, government, other nonprofit organizations, and other members in our society with wisdom, courage, and faith.

I work at an organization called The Landing, which is Houston’s first drop-in center for survivors of human trafficking and those in the commercial sex industry. It is located on the Bissonnet track between Beltway 8 and Highway 59. The Landing is a safe, non-judgmental space where these survivors can come for case management, counseling, food, clothing, computer access, and rest. We also teach a course called “Ending the Game”, a coercion resiliency program created by Survivor Leader, Rachel Thomas. The Landing serves to stand in the gap between the streets and longer term shelters. You see, many victims do not identify as victims. In addition, many of them are not ready for shelters and therefore do not have the support that they may need. Through our loving services, we build trust with our clients, which helps them open up to us about their situations and needs. The Landing staff and volunteers tell our clients they are beautiful and worthy. This replaces the lies that their traffickers told them or made them feel: that they were garbage. The positive truths our clients hear may lead them to be more open to take the necessary steps towards freedom. To get the word out about our services, we do street outreaches and accompany law enforcement on some of their operations. Our services are extremely important for those navigating the line between freedom and slavery – especially because they’ve never been given the choice of true freedom.

There are multiple ways the community can help fight human trafficking. Here are a few ideas:

• Put in the National Human Trafficking Hotline in your phone right now. The number is 888-3737-888. This is the number to call if you have any tips related to human trafficking or if you meet a potential victim.
• Get involved with a local anti-trafficking organization, such as The Landing or the Houston Rescue & Restore Coalition.
• Give financially to support anti-trafficking work. Quality services take financial backing, and we believe that these survivors deserve quality care.
• Pray for those in bondage – that they would be freed. Also, pray for those fighting this injustice.

I’ll be honest: this is not an easy fight, but right now someone is being sold and that is not ok. There is much work to do, so I hope you will be wise, bold and get involved! The hope that I see in our clients’ eyes is what keeps me going. I leave you with one of my favorite Bible verses which is a reminder of why I am an abolitionist: “And this is what the Lord requires of you: to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.” – Micah 6:8.

 

^[1] International Labor Organization 2012/2014; Trafficking in Persons Report, 2016