Peters Visits Genesys Health System, Discusses Growing Human Trafficking Problem in Michigan
Peters Introduced Legislation to Help Identify and Prevent Human Trafficking
FLINT, MI –Today, U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) spoke at Genesys Downtown Flint Health Center to discuss the growing human trafficking problem in Michigan and bipartisan legislation he introduced to better train health care professionals to recognize the signs of trafficking in their patients. Peters was joined by Dr. Alan Janssen, Director of the Emergency Medicine Residency program at the Genesys Regional Medical Center, James Tolbert, Chief of Police for the City of Flint and Jay Kommareddi, Chair of the Human Trafficking Initiative for the Michigan Women’s Commission and Co-founder of the Genesee County Human Trafficking Task Force.
“Human trafficking is a serious problem in Michigan, and we need to bring together law enforcement and health care professionals to successfully combat trafficking.” said Senator Peters. “Trafficking victims often show signs of abuse that medical professionals can identify when they have the right training. I was proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation that helps provide critical resources to train doctors and nurses to recognize the signs of trafficking and gives them the tools they need to fight trafficking in Michigan and across the country.”
Peters recently introduced the Trafficking Awareness Training for Health Care Act of 2015 with Republican Senator Bill Cassidy (LA). The bill establishes a pilot program to train health care professionals to identify victims of human trafficking. The legislation would award grants to an accredited school of medicine with experience studying and treating victims of human trafficking. The school must consult with law enforcement, social services and other experts to develop best practices for identifying victims of trafficking. The grants would be administered through the Department of Health and Human Services.
“Too often, victims of trafficking are afraid to reach out for help, and doctors and nurses are in a unique position to recognize the signs of human trafficking and create a safe environment to offer victims the help they need,” said Dr. Alan Janssen, the Director of the Emergency Medicine Residency program at the Genesys Regional Medical Center. “Medical professionals are likely to come into contact with trafficking victims at some point during their captivity, and this important legislation will help make sure that they are ready and able to help rescue victims. I thank Senator Peters for his leadership on this issue and for his work to help end trafficking in Michigan.”
“Trafficking crimes are difficult to combat because they often go unseen, occurring in private homes or locations in our communities,” said Jay Kommareddi, Chair of the Human Trafficking Initiative for the Michigan Women’s Commission and Co-founder of the Genesee County Human Trafficking Task Force. “I applaud Senator Peters for introducing this critical legislation that will help ensure more people that come in contact with a victim are aware and trained to recognize the signs of trafficking and provide help to the victims of these heinous crimes.”
“Law enforcement is on the front lines in the fight against human trafficking in Michigan, but we need a coordinated approach to ensure we are never missing an opportunity to save a victim from trafficking,” said Flint Police Chief James Tolbert. “Senator Peters’ legislation helps promote coordination between law enforcement and service providers like teachers, social workers and medical professionals to ensure that we can reach and rescue victims of trafficking and help them start to rebuild their lives.”
A 2013 Michigan Commission on Human Trafficking report found that trafficking is a serious and growing problem in Michigan. The Commission identified five key factors that hinder the prevention of human trafficking in Michigan: Inadequate data on human trafficking, gaps within the state’s victim servicing framework, lack of awareness that human trafficking exists, the need to strengthen anti-trafficking policies and the failure by professionals to recognize indicators of human trafficking.
During a July 2013 FBI investigation, more than 150 traffickers were arrested in a nationwide sweep. The operation made several busts in metro Detroit and one in Flint, where two 17-year-old girls were rescued and one trafficker was arrested. This legislation will continue to build on the successful work of programs like the Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force to combat trafficking in the United States and around the world.
Peters also recently cosponsored the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act, which provides emergency shelter for young people, and helps service providers learn to identify victims of human trafficking. Last year, Michigan received more than $2 million in funding supported by this bill for programs in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Traverse City, Bloomfield, Mount Clemens, Mount Pleasant, Muskegon, East Lansing, Marquette and Ann Arbor to support homeless and at-risk youth.
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