NORTH LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Salvation Army Southern Nevada has open beds available in an emergency shelter for victims of human trafficking.
Officials in a media release said the emergency shelter will have 32 open beds and is open ahead of major sporting events such as the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix. There are also said to be case managers ready to connect survivors to necessary resources.
"The first thing is to provide them a safe and secure place for them to be," said Maggie Laubach, The Salvation Army Clark County Coordinator. "We have the housing, the meals, clothes, whatever they might need for their first few days. And then, from there, we provide counseling. We provide group therapy connections if they want to further their education or if they want to."
13 Chief Investigative Reporter Darcy Spears first shed light on the uptick in victimization as money and large groups of people gather for events.
Salvation Army officials say big events "typically experience an increase in human trafficking cases. With more tourists, dollars spent and jobs created, officials say it makes a ground for traffickers to engage in labor and sexual exploitation.
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“While these events bring a lot of good to the community, we’re prepared for the bad they can bring,” said Major Maggie Laubach, executive director of The Salvation Army Southern Nevada. “The tourists who come to our city for a fun time who might engage in nefarious behaviors will see an increase in sex trafficking, and temporary jobs created for this event will have higher labor trafficking victims.”
The temporary emergency shelter for any victim of human trafficking will be located in a building on The Salvation Army Owens Campus. According to their website, the shelter is at 35 W. Owens Avenue, North Las Vegas, NV 89030.
“It is not easy for a victim to separate from their pimp/trafficker, and so we created this temporary space that can immediately get them to a safe space,” added Major Laubach.
The Salvation Army says the public can also help end trafficking by recognizing red flags. Identifying these behaviors can help guide victims toward safety with the support of law enforcement:
- not allowed to speak to others alone/their answers seem scripted and rehearsed
- shows signs of physical abuse, has submissive, fearful, anxious facial expressions with little to no eye contact
- lack of control over personal identification documents, such as a passport or ID
"While human trafficking unfortunately intensifies during large events, this is an everyday problem that takes place in our own community," officials said. "The Salvation Army Southern Nevada operates a year-round anti-human trafficking program, SEEDS of Hope, that works to set up individuals for long-term self-sufficient success."
If you or someone you know is being trafficked or suspects trafficking, The Salvation Army provided this phone number: 725-777-1373 for SEES of Hope program support. For 24-hour support, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 or text 233733.
