01/21/2026
We are incredibly proud of the turnout at our recent Human Trafficking Awareness training sponsored by Rips Safety Training and Consulting.
This wasn’t just a seminar; it was a gathering of front-line responders committed to seeing what is often "hidden in plain sight." Special Thanks to Suh Hughart for the great course. Also a special Thanks to the Terrebonne Parish District Attorneys Office for their presentation as well as the Louisiana Department of Health and the Healthcare Coalition for assisting with logistics to host such a large group.
The Reality:
Human trafficking is a multi-billion dollar criminal industry, and it isn’t just happening "somewhere else"—it is happening in our own communities.
• The Healthcare Connection: Research shows that up to 88% of trafficking victims interact with a healthcare professional while they are being exploited. These medical encounters are often the only time a victim is away from their trafficker.
• The Law Enforcement Edge: Proactive identification through a victim-centered approach is the key to moving from "missing persons" cases to successful "trafficking interventions."
A massive thank you to the 60+ individuals and 20 different agencies from both Law Enforcement and Healthcare who attended. Your willingness to learn the red flags and build cross-agency partnerships is what will ultimately save lives.
Together, we are making our community a harder place for traffickers to operate.
My apologies to any agency I forgot to mention or tag.