WDNY Human Trafficking Task Force & Alliance lead local law enforcement agency the Erie County Sheriff's Office project is to implement a department wide cross-programmatic detection approach.

With an eye toward improving local efforts and contributing to the larger anti-trafficking field, WDTF will focus on strengthening the leadership structure and coordination of multidisciplinary partnerships and activities, identifying and serving victims of all types of human trafficking, implementing victim-centered, trauma-informed, and collaborative approaches through the consistent implementation of task force protocols and training, plan and execute proactive investigations and prosecutions with active involvement form all partners and by utilizing advanced investigative methods and criminal intelligence gathering and analysis, investigate, refer, and prosecute both sex/labor trafficking cases at the local, state, tribal, and federal levels, assisting victims of sex/labor trafficking in achieving increased safety, independence, self-sufficiency and well-being through the provision of appropriate services and collecting data and conducting ongoing assessment activities to determine if the program is meeting stated goals and objectives. In addition, task force leadership will drive efforts to jointly deliver targeted training and public awareness materials about sex and labor trafficking that have a shared task force message, continue sustainability planning, provide peer support to newer task forces, and share tools or resources to highlight promising or effective practice.