Trafficking in Persons awarded state designation, trafficking in Persons lab continues providing valuable resources to victims and agencies

Sarah Sell

The USF Trafficking in Persons Risk to Resilience Lab or TIP Lab reached two important milestones in 2023 with the launch of its BRIGHT network and official designation as the statewide repository for data related to human trafficking. The lab is one of the first research centers dedicated to studying the myriad impacts of human trafficking in Florida and is housed on the University of South Florida’s St. Petersburg campus.

In May, Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill that makes the USF TIP Lab the statewide repository for anonymous human trafficking data.

As part of a larger provision that supports victims of human trafficking and strengthens penalties for human traffickers, the TIP Lab was tasked with collecting and analyzing statewide data to understand better the magnitude and trends in human trafficking across the state and over time. The lab will also evaluate the effectiveness of state-funded initiatives to combat human trafficking, and it will work with law enforcement and state agencies to report data on trafficking investigations and prosecutions, which can aid those agencies in combatting human trafficking and individuals.

“The creation of a unified database for human trafficking will be transformational for this region and Florida,” said Joan Reid, USF professor of criminology and director of the TIP Lab. “It will allow us to have a more accurate picture of the prevalence and patterns related to human trafficking in the state to better combat and reduce this illegal activity.”

The mission of the TIP Lab is to make the region resilient to human trafficking by bridging information gaps in human trafficking, which can help organizations locate and access services quickly and efficiently.

“I am so proud of the work done by Professor Joan Reid and her team,” said Christian Hardigree, regional chancellor of USF St. Petersburg. “Under their stewardship, this new statewide data repository will provide those who study and combat human trafficking with a powerful tool to make our region and the state of Florida more resilient and safer from this pervasive crime.”

Florida currently ranks third in the United States based on the number of human trafficking hotline reports. Tampa Bay is considered a hotbed for child sex trafficking due to its vulnerable youth and influx of travelers.

“Reports we can generate from a unified database can assist law enforcement efforts while addressing gaps in services, providing essential resources where they are needed most, from assisting investigations to helping victims to develop prevention programming,” said Shelly Wagers, USF professor of criminology and researcher for the TIP Lab.

Earlier in the year, the TIP Lab released a centralized, secure platform developed in close collaboration with anti-trafficking professionals and survivors to help victims of human trafficking escape their situations and get back on their feet by streamlining efforts to connect them with organizations and resources in Tampa Bay.

The BRIGHT (Bridging Resources and Information Gaps in Human Trafficking) Network is a centralized, secure platform that will allow professionals in anti-trafficking organizations to track, coordinate and provide available resources such as health care and safe housing to individuals.

Initial resources and services on the network, which is a project of the TIP Lab, include housing, health, mental health and legal. Additional resources such as clothing, food and employment will also be added. All are highly vetted for trust and safety.

“There was a community need to develop such a network to help human trafficking victims, survivors and the anti-trafficking community better locate and find the essential services that are usually needed right away,” Wagers said.

Currently, when law enforcement officials encounter trafficking victims during the line of duty, they may not be sure where to turn to find help for the individual or what resources, such as shelters, are available. Since, for many trafficking victims, it may take multiple attempts to detach them from their situation, connecting them with the right people and resources at the right time is key. Community partners say the BRIGHT Network could be vital in making those connections.

This platform can make it easier for a victim of human trafficking to leave the life and their trafficker. -Shelly Wagers “

“This platform can make it easier for a victim of human trafficking to leave the life and their trafficker,” said Kathleen Kempke, client services compliance administrator for the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay. “It enables someone to receive support and resources as they move from place to place without retelling their story. The constant support from those resources along with access to safe shelter, employment assistance and mental and physical health providers, will make a huge difference for someone having options to leave human trafficking successfully.”

The network, which also involves criminology researchers on the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus, was recently awarded a $150,000 grant from Hillsborough County to develop an initial pilot program. A $25,000 grant from the Mel Greene Foundation also helped launch this project.

For the pilot, five local organizations - Created Women, Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, Justice Restoration Center, Selah Freedom and United Abolitionists – will utilize the platform to coordinate their work.

“From this initial five, the plan is to bring five to ten more anti-trafficking organizations onto the platform in the coming months, and then another group of five to ten more as the platform further develops and the network strengthens,” said Kailey Pate Carter, the project manager for the BRIGHT Network.

Using the network will strengthen the anti-trafficking community and collect key data based on requests by victims. Data collected will provide concrete information on the scope of the trafficking problem for the region, the demographics of victims and survivors, and their most pressing needs. Such vital data can inform local programs and legislation.

In time, USF researchers plan to build out the network so human trafficking victims and survivors can have direct access to the portal. If all goes well, they hope to replicate the BRIGHT Network in other regions of Florida to become a statewide platform to assist survivors and combat trafficking.