Long before soccer fans and tourists flocked to North Texas for the FIFA World Cup, nonprofit organizations were preparing residents for a threat that might arrive with the games and festivities: human trafficking.
Anti-trafficking organizations and churches hosted forums to raise awareness and offer prevention resources in anticipation of Arlington’s nine World Cup games in June and July. Local police agencies said they’ll be more visible, patrolling streets around the Arlington stadium and the FIFA Fan Festival in Dallas. Undercover officers also were scheduled to watch for trafficking activity.
Some experts have a different take on the connection between World Cup events and sexual exploitation of individuals, however. They say that while the rate of human trafficking activity probably doesn’t go up during large-scale events, the additional focus on the problem is of significant help…