Lake County Gazette

The United States Department of Justice has renewed its grant for the Lake County Human Trafficking Task Force, providing an additional $700,000 in funding. This financial support will be distributed over the next three years to aid in the investigation and prosecution of human traffickers, as well as offering vital services to survivors of labor and sex trafficking.

The task force is a joint initiative led by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office (LCSAO) and A Safe Place (ASP). It brings together prosecutors, law enforcement, and community-based social service providers with the goal of supporting survivors, raising community awareness, and holding traffickers accountable through legal action. The grant will fund a prosecutor, an investigator, and a task force coordinator within the State’s Attorney’s Office.

Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart expressed gratitude for the continued support: “The Department of Justice and its subject-matter experts recognize the work we are doing in Lake County, and our office greatly appreciates their confidence as shown by this renewal.”

Before the task force was established in 2022, there were no active investigations or charged cases related to human trafficking in Lake County during 2020 or 2021. Currently, more than 20 cases are under investigation with five pending cases against defendants in local courts. Data from the Department of Justice National Incident Based Reporting System indicated that only 30 sex trafficking cases and 17 labor trafficking cases were reported to Illinois law enforcement between 2021 and 2023.

Rinehart highlighted the challenges faced: “The data shows that trafficking is a vastly under-reported crime, and that it is one of the reasons why it so dangerous. Such exploitation of the individual is one of the most damaging and calculated crimes in our system. These renewed grant funds give us the resources we need to conduct these intensive investigations and to build prosecutions in complex cases. Make no mistake, traffickers in Lake County will be investigated and incarcerated for these crimes that exploit others.”

Pat Davenport, Chief Executive Officer of A Safe Place, emphasized the importance of collaboration: “A Safe Place continues to experience the needs of survivors that come through our doors and the collaboration with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office is critical to our delivery of our services. Without them, the funding would not have become A REALITY which is so much needed to provide services.”

The LCSAO plays a crucial role within this task force by leading proactive investigations and pursuing legal action against those involved in trafficking activities. Their efforts combined with A Safe Place's victim-centered approach ensure comprehensive support for survivors while facilitating successful prosecutions.