As Omaha prepares for Warren Buffet’s annual Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders meeting over the weekend, local organizations are raising awareness on what they say is a big issue in Nebraska – human sex trafficking.
The Women’s Fund of Omaha is displaying silhouettes of individuals with local sex trafficking statistics throughout businesses in the metro – including at Eppley Airfield, CenturyLink Center and various participating hotels.
“On average, 900 individuals are bought and sold often multiple times across the state of Nebraska in a monthly basis,” says Meghan Malik, the Trafficking Project Manager with the Women’s Fund of Omaha.
Along with the Women’s Fund of Omaha, the Coalition on Human Trafficking is focused on educating the public on how to recognize a potential human trafficking situation.
The Women’s Fund of Omaha says individuals being purchased for sex against their will are rarely locked away, but rather held captive in plain view. They say some signs a person may be sex trafficked include a person who cannot speak on their own behalf, has few personal possessions, and does not have possession of their I.D. or travel documents or limited freedom to move around independently or socialize.
“It’s especially important on weekends like Berkshire Hathaway where there’s a lot of traffic coming to the area because big events will lead to sex trafficking spikes,” says Malik. “We do see increases on ad postings on websites where a majority of sex trafficking happens and individuals are bought sold during these spikes.”
Part of the organizations’ efforts include training businesses most likely to see this type of activity.
Matt Korsos, General Manager at Hotel Deco in the Old Market says his staff was trained on the signs of a possible human trafficking situation and how to react.
“All of our staff has gone through the local training that’s provided to them. We’re all aware of the different things to be looking for and verbal nonverbal clues as we have guests check in,” said Korsos.
For more information on the organizations’ efforts you can visit the Omaha Women’s Fund websiteor Coalition on Human Trafficking.
