If Nevada wants to do a better job protecting people from human trafficking, state lawmakers should look beyond the Las Vegas Strip, says one mental health provider.
Jessica Kay, a licensed social worker and trafficking survivor, told state lawmakers that, while Nevada has made strides to address sex trafficking and exploitation, gaps in data collection and how law enforcement responds to some incidents of sex abuse and assault have made it difficult for Southern Nevada to determine how rampant the problem might be.
“We need better systems for tracking violent incidents from hotel rooms to courtrooms,” Kay said. “Right now, it is really difficult to follow an incident from a Metro police report to a court record, to a jail record. Those gaps prevent us from identifying patterns of violence, exploitation, trafficking, and repeat offenders.”…