Proactive Investigative Tools
Beyond the proactive methods listed here, there are many more that cannot be shared publicly but are available in a variety of law enforcement sensitive trainings.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) funds the training arm of the National Association of Attorneys General for a 2-day human trafficking prosecutor course, and the Upper Midwest Community Policing Institute for a 3-day advanced investigator course. DOJ, DHS, and DOL partner on ACTeam trainings for federal human trafficking task forces.
Proactive cases do not present to law enforcement at all; instead, they result from operations that are pre-planned, over time, through the use of more advanced investigative methods and criminal intelligence. All cases should involve close coordination with victim service providers in anticipation of encountering potential victims. Some examples include—
Tips About Proactive Case Strategies
Note that many task forces conduct "John" or decoy operations. Note that this strategy does not uncover actual victims of trafficking. Decoy operations are often accompanied by publication of perpetrators, which can be more dangerous. It is important for the task force to review priorities and decide what is most effective for the operation.
Every task force needs to work both labor and sex trafficking cases effectively. Task forces that are more advanced are able to conduct a larger number of proactive investigations. Using proactive techniques in reactive cases often leads to the intelligence that later forms the basis of longer term "spin-off" investigations. Proactive case leads also often arise from red-flag trainings, street outreach, task force relationships, and partnerships. It all works in concert—bringing public awareness of human trafficking and doing direct outreach to stakeholders, such as utility workers, hotel employees, emergency room staff, school personnel, and others, can help build cases for law enforcement.
A human trafficking investigation entails three phases: pre-operational, operational, and post-operational.
Even though the three phases are sequential in nature, no case develops exactly as planned, and different aspects or targets within a single proactive case can fall within multiple phases at the same time. Therefore, using the "three-phase" proactive terminology allows investigators and prosecutors to explain the status of pending cases to their chains of command and provide more accurate estimates.
For additional information and tools, visit the Resource page for Section 5.2 Taking a Proactive Approach.