CONTACT: John P. Koremenos, Jr., Communications Director
(608) 266-1221
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Today, the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Division of
Criminal Investigation (DCI), DOJ Office of Crime Victim Services (OCVS), and
Wisconsin Native American Drug and Gang Initiative (NADGI) Task Force, in
partnership with the Oneida Police Department, completed anti-human trafficking
and drug recognition training that reached more than 500 Oneida employees who
work in the casino and hospitality industries.
“Hospitality workers are uniquely positioned to see, recognize, and report human
trafficking and other illegal activities,” said Attorney General Brad Schimel. “This
training provides tribal law enforcement hundreds of partners in keeping a watchful
eye on their community and removes the advantage traffickers and drug networks
have when members of the public don’t know how to recognize and report these crimes
to law enforcement.”
“Our ongoing partnership with DOJ is very important to us,” said Oneida Police Chief
Richard VanBoxtel. “Having the collaboration and partnership with DOJ with both
the human trafficking and drug and gang resources will impact our community with
resources that can be gained and many times go hand in hand. Utilizing these
resources to train the Oneida Nation’s employees that are in contact with patrons
and community members to recognize the signs and symptoms of both human
trafficking and illegal drug activity will give them the tools to help in addressing
these issues”
Today’s training was in addition to sessions held earlier this month, when combined,
reached more than 500 Oneida employees. Employees were trained on two related
public safety issues: the illegal narcotics trade and human trafficking. During the
drug recognition training, employees learned to identify illegal substances, the effects
of those drugs on the user and safety considerations when encountering substances.
The human trafficking training explained the dynamics of victimization, indicators
of trafficking specific to the hotel and casino environment and how to report key
information to law enforcement. Similar trainings will be offered in the coming
months to other casinos and hotels in coordination with tribal leaders.}
DOJ is working with key industry leaders and associations to expand the network of
people who know what to look for and how to report suspected human trafficking.
Partnerships with the Wisconsin Hotel and Lodging Association, the Wisconsin Motor
Carriers Association, and the national organization, Trucker’s Against Trafficking,
heighten awareness within industries that are often misused by traffickers to commit
their crimes.
The DCI Human Trafficking Bureau was established in 2017 by Attorney General
Schimel to provide a coordinated statewide strategy to identify, target, and prosecute
traffickers in order to combat human trafficking and provide needed assistance to
survivors.
The Native American Drug and Gang Initiative (NADGI) Task Force, created in 2007,
is an organization that brings together tribal law enforcement agencies with DOJ’s
Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) to fight illegal drug and gang activities on
the reservations. Coordination between the agencies and support from Tribal
Governments and community groups results in halting further development of
addiction and violence.
The DOJ Office of Crime Victim Services administers resources and programs that
serve crime victims and their loved ones and provides training and technical
assistance to the victim services field and allied professionals. For more information,
go to www.doj.state.wi.us/ocvs.
For more information about human trafficking, visit the Wisconsin Department of
Justice human trafficking website: to www.BeFreeWisconsin.com.
