Collaborative Response
Bringing together service providers and law enforcement across Westchest County to coordinate a unified response to human trafficking
Survivor-Centered Services
Connecting survivors of trafficking with a comprehensive network of restorative services and support
Training and Awareness
Providing education and training to equip communities and professionals with the tools to identify, report, and prevent human trafficking.

Human Trafficking in Westchester County

Founded in 2010, The Westchester County Anti-Trafficking Task Force is a multi-disciplinary task force comprised of law enforcement, service providers, government agencies, community organizations, and other advocates with expertise addressing all forms of human trafficking. Westchester County is a prime location for human trafficking due to its proximity to New York City and three of the busiest airports in the country, several busy tourist destinations, including a horse track and casino, sizable immigrant population, and a variety of industries requiring a multitude of workers.

Leadership and Collaboration

The Westchester County Anti-Trafficking Task Force is led by a Steering Committee made up of dedicated agencies and organizations with expertise in survivor advocacy, public safety, social services, and prosecution. Together, these partners work to ensure a unified, trauma-informed response to human trafficking across the county.

Task Force Steering Committee

Dave Ryan, Task Force Coordinator

Mike Wilson, HSI

Erica Bell, FBI

Stephen Donnelly, Department of Labor

Marcia Cohen, US Attornery General Office

Amanda Mills, My Sister's Place

Molly Johnson, Department of Social Services

Alison Boak, Task Force Special Advisor

Lived Experience Counsel Members

About the Westchester County Anti-Trafficking Task Force

The Westchester County Anti-Trafficking Task Force was founded in November 2010, to better combat and prevent human trafficking across Westchester County.  

The Westchester County Anti-Trafficking Task Force was launched in 2010 by the International Organization for Adolescents (IOFA), the Pound Ridge Police Department, and My Sisters’ Place, in response to a prominent case of human trafficking in Pound Ridge. Since then, the Task Force has brought together a multitude of service providers and law enforcement from across Westchester to develop a coordinated response to human trafficking across the County.  

To date, the Task Force has held regular meetings to educate and update task force members; spearheaded the training of hundreds of law enforcement personnel, social service providers, child protection staff, among others to identify and respond to cases of human trafficking; created a multi-agency protocol for coordinating anti-trafficking cases and responses; and worked together on several cases. 

Our Work and Impact

Since 2010, the Westchester County Anti-Trafficking Task Force has met regularly to share information, build expertise, and strengthen collaboration among member agencies. The Task Force has:

  • • Provided ongoing education and updates to Task Force members
  • • Trained hundreds of law enforcement officers, social service professionals, child welfare staff, and other frontline responders to identify and respond to human trafficking
  • • Developed a multi-agency protocol to coordinate investigations, victim identification, and service delivery
  • • Collaborated on numerous trafficking cases across the county

Through these efforts, the Task Force continues to improve outcomes for survivors while strengthening accountability for traffickers. Since its inception, the Task Force has identified more than 2,000 cases of human trafficking in Westchester County and has provided services, referrals, and support to survivors of trafficking.

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Enhanced Collaborative Model

As a grantee of the United States Department of Justice, Office on Victims of Crime (OVC) Enhanced Collaborative Model (ECM) Program, the Westchester County Anti-Trafficking Task Force develops, expands, and strengthens a multidisciplinary approach to identify and serve victims of human trafficking. Link needed to DOJ*

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Our Mission

Mission: The mission of the Westchester County Anti-Trafficking Task Force is to prevent and combat human trafficking across Westchester County through seamless multi-disciplinary collaboration that is driven by the needs and desires of survivors.   

Our Vision

Our Vision 

  • A swift and coordinated criminal justice response to human trafficking, in which perpetrators are held accountable and in which the rights of victims of trafficking under New York and federal law are protected. 
  • A comprehensive network of high-quality services for victims of trafficking that all victims can access as soon as they are identified in the community or by law enforcement. 
  • Systemic collaboration between service providers and law enforcement towards the common goal of preventing and combating human trafficking in our community. 

Our Goals

Investigate

Conduct proactive investigations of human trafficking crimes in Westchester County in collaboration with local, state, regional, and federal law enforcement and regulatory agencies.

Identify

Identify victims of all forms of human trafficking and provide access to a comprehensive range of restorative, survivor-centered services that address each individual’s unique needs.

Prosecute

Support the prosecution of human trafficking crimes at both the state and federal levels.

Enhance

Enhance community capacity to identify, report, and prevent human trafficking through training, public awareness initiatives, and outreach efforts across Westchester County.

Words From Our Co-Chairs

Lo­cal po­lice are our first line of de­fense against traf­fick­ing, They’re the eyes and ears of our com­mu­ni­ties. It’s crit­i­cal that they get train­ing on this is­sue.
Al­i­son Boak
Co-Founder of IOFA

National Human Trafficking Hotline

1-888-373-7888 

TTY 711 

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