About the Task Force
The Nebraska Human Trafficking Task Force (NHTTF) was created in 2015 to coordinate the state’s response to human trafficking occurring in Nebraska. It involves not only law enforcement and prosecutors, but also service providers, advocates, and community partners, all focused on the NHTTF mission and goals.
NHTTF Mission
The mission of NHTTF is to end human trafficking1 in Nebraska.
NHTTF Goals
To fulfill that mission, NHTTF’s goals are to:
- FIND human trafficking in Nebraska;
- STOP traffickers2; and
- RECOGNIZE each victim.
We find human trafficking through targeted investigations, proactive operations, data analysis, and communication among task force partners.
We stop traffickers through arrest and prosecution, forfeiture of assets used in human trafficking, dismantling any human trafficking enterprise, and otherwise combating trafficking.
We recognize victims and survivors through a trauma-informed approach and referrals to trauma-informed, client-centered services.
NHTTF's statewide committees develop strategies and tools to guide the direction of the task force. These include the Advisory Council, a Law Enforcement Committee, and a Data and Screening Committee. Additionally, the five regional teams carry out the work on the ground. They conduct proactive operations across the state that uncover human trafficking, stop traffickers, and provide immediate assistance to victims. The teams also investigate tips from vigilant Nebraskans who see something that doesn’t look right. These tips can turn into an escape route for victims as well as an end to a trafficker’s crimes. Collectively, the task force has numerous open investigations and several pending prosecutions across Nebraska at any time.
Together, we are making Nebraska a safer place for friends and visitors. We are now uncovering some of the human trafficking that used to occur undetected in the shadows. We have much more to do, but we now have the structure and the momentum to better serve this state.
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Trafficking in Nebraska
1. “Human trafficking” means both forced labor (otherwise known as labor trafficking) and commercial sexual assault (otherwise known as sex trafficking).
2. Under federal and Nebraska law, a human trafficker includes both those selling and those purchasing the services of a trafficking victim.
