River Bend Times

The city of Bettendorf recently proclaimed the month of January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month.

During the Jan. 3 city council meeting, Mayor Robert Gallagher called on Police Chief Kimball to make the proclamation. Kimball was accompanied by former Iowa State Sen. Maggie Tinsman, who is now the Secretary for the Network Against Human Trafficking and Slavery and the chair of the breaking trafficking committee. Gallagher said that he writes each and every year on the subject of human trafficking. Tinsman thanked the mayor for issuing the proclamation and continuing to spread awareness of this issue and also thanked Police Chief Kimball for his continued efforts in stopping the spread. 

According to Tinsman, there are an estimated 50 million people that are currently victims of human trafficking across the world, an increase of 10 million people since 2019. Tinsman said that the numbers have been increasing within the state of Iowa as well, from 558 two years ago to 642 in 2021.

"Human trafficking preys on their victims by promising a life of hope and greater opportunity while delivering only enslavement. Instead of delivering people to better lives, traffickers profit from the labor and toil of their victims who they force through violence, drugs and intimidation to work in the sex trade and hotels, motels, and illicit massage businesses," Tinsman said at the meeting. "This proclamation was formed with the purpose of working toward abolishing all forms of human trafficking through education, advocacy and collaboration. We look forward to working with the board, the sheriff, and the many agencies and concerned local citizens of Bettendorf to end trafficking in our community." 

Many members of the council as well as the police chief feel the weight of this issue strongly. Police Chief Kimball thanked Maggie for all she has done to advocate for this issue over the years. The police department meets with many of these organizations and non-profits that aid victims regularly. He also commented on a difficult case from a few years ago that ended up with the FBI and prosecution of a sex trafficking case that ended with the perpetrator behind bars for several decades.