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Expansion of the Honolulu County Human Trafficking Task Force

Award Information

Award #
15POVC-22-GK-03663-HT
Funding Category
Competitive Discretionary
Areas Served
Geographical Areas Served
  • City and County of Honolulu
Indicates all geographic areas to which services are provided, excluding states. See States Served.
States Served
HI
Indicates all applicable states in which services are provided.
Location
Congressional District
Status
Open
Funding First Awarded
2022
Total funding (to date)
$750,000

Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2022, $750,000)

Name of Task Force: The Honolulu County Human Trafficking Task Force

Geographic Area:        City and County of Honolulu

Purpose Area:             #2: Expansion of Established ECM Human Trafficking Task Force

LE Applicant Name:         The Department of the Prosecuting Attorney

Amount Requested:    $750,000

VSP Applicant Name:       Susannah Wesley Community Center

Amount Requested:    $750,000

No. of Trafficking Investigations:      21 in 2019       12 in 2020       4 in 2021         8 in 2022

No. of Trafficking Prosecutions:        44 in 2019       4 in 2020         0 in 2021         5 in 2022

No. of Trafficking Victims Served:    103 in 2019     88 in 2020       96 in 2021       57 in 2022

The Department of the Prosecuting Attorney (DPA) and Susannah Wesley Community Center (SWCC) will coordinate resources to meet the mission and goals of an Enhanced Collaborative Model to Combat Human Trafficking Task Force project in the City and County of Honolulu.  The mission of this project is to expand the established multidisciplinary task force that implements victim-centered and coordinated approaches to identifying victims of human trafficking, addressing the individualized needs of victims through comprehensive services and investigating and prosecuting human trafficking cases at the local, state and federal levels. The task force will refine and implement existing and new protocols and continue meaningful survivor engagement.

The goals of the established multidisciplinary task force are:

identify victims of all types of human trafficking within the City and County of Honolulu,
address the individualized needs of victims through the provision of a comprehensive array of quality services, and
engage in proactive victim-centered investigations and prosecutions of all human trafficking cases at the local, state, tribal, and federal levels, as jurisdictionally appropriate.

 

The task force leadership team will include the DPA, SWCC, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Homeland Security Investigation, and the Honolulu Police Department. This task force has an established membership of other relevant stakeholders. The collaboration will be ensured through regular leadership team meetings and monthly meetings of the full task force membership, under the coordination of the DPA Task Force Coordinator.  Deliverables will include clear operational protocols for service delivery, investigation, prosecution, and the development of a shared public message.

Date Created: September 29, 2022