Advisory Committee Chair
Natalie Todak
Advisory Committee Members
John H Copes
Stacy Moak
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
2021
Degree Name by School
Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
Human trafficking has been on the rise since slavery was abolished in the 19th century. As the prevalence of human trafficking continues to rise, the criminals involved continue to develop more sophisticated ways to hide their crimes from the police. Accordingly, countless victims remain unidentified. Research shows there is a critical need for local law enforcement officers to be trained in how to identify and investigate cases of human trafficking, as well as to interact compassionately with and effectively help its victims. The purpose of the current study was to qualitatively investigate the human trafficking training currently provided to local law enforcement from the perspective of officers who have completed it. The current study was exploratory and sought to gain knowledge from law enforcement officers on the content of their human trafficking training and how they have used the training to respond to suspected cases of human trafficking. The study found that participants found their trainings mostly effective, especially when their trainings included hearing from victims of human trafficking and being able to network with other officers. Keywords: Human trafficking, victims, identify, investigation, law enforcement, trainings
Recommended Citation
Kidd, Lekendra, "Understanding and Improving the Police Response to Suspected Cases of Human Trafficking" (2021). All ETDs from UAB. 824.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/824