Frequently asked questions
Colorado’s Human Trafficking Hotline is managed by the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking (LCHT). For more information about LCHT visit CombatHumanTrafficking.org.
To ensure confidentiality for callers and survivors, the hotline does not have feedback loops in place. While it can be difficult to not know if someone was able to access support or seek safety, if you call the hotline to help someone or share information, this is one of the best steps you can take to make a difference in someone’s life.
You’ll be connected with a trained hotline advocate who can talk through what you are observing. If you choose to report, they can pass the information along to law enforcement. It is always an option to make the report anonymously – a follow up conversation with law enforcement is not required to report a tip to the hotline.
Yes, callers can remain anonymous. It is not required that you share any personal information if you are over 18. Should you choose to disclose personal information, it will remain confidential unless you request for it to be shared, and give consent.
Traffickers target people who they perceive as being vulnerable. This could be someone of any race, gender, or social or economic status. Contributing factors that can leave someone vulnerable to exploitation include but are not limited to:
- Poverty
- Housing insecurity
- Any unstable living environment
- Addiction or substance use
- Lack of support from family, friends
- LGBTQ+ community
- Lack of access to services
Traffickers can be someone of any race, gender, or social or economic status. Often a trafficker is someone the victim knows and trusts such as an intimate partner, employer, friend, or a family member.
It can be very difficult to escape the control of a trafficker. The physical and/or psychological coercion and manipulation a trafficker exercises creates a complex dynamic similar to domestic violence situations. A victim may not understand their circumstances, they may not have adequate resources, or they may not know how to get assistance.
During the first phase of the campaign, there was a 47 percent increase in calls to the hotline. Campaign impact has been evaluated over time using a variety of different measures including campaign public awareness surveys, media metrics and engagement, as well as the ongoing tracking of calls and tips to Colorado’s Human Trafficking Hotline. Evaluation results will be reported at the end of 2022.
Preliminary Hotline Data
- There have been 51% more average monthly calls since the campaign launch (average of 51 calls per month before Nov 2020, average 78 calls per month after through June 2022)
- There has been an average of 30% more calls per month from survivors since the launch of campaign.
- There have been an average of 58% more tips and referrals per month since the campaign launch (before campaign: 29 monthly average tips/referrals, after campaign: 46 monthly average tips/referrals.
Human trafficking is the exploitation of another person through force, fraud, or coercion for some type of labor, including commercial sex. Human trafficking consists of the denial of a person’s human right to freedom and basic dignity.
Three different federal grants have supported the implementation of the campaign through 2022. The 2020 Campaign was supported by federal grant #2018-V2-GX-0050 while the 2021-2022 Campaign is supported by federal grants 2020-VA-21-PA002-00 and 2020-VA-21-601-00. All grant funding was issued by the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice.
The goals of the public awareness campaign are:
- To increase awareness of different types of human trafficking in Colorado.
- Shift preconceived ideas about human trafficking
- Elevate the belief that human trafficking can exist in any Colorado community.
- Create a statewide culture that does not tolerate human trafficking.
Established through legislation in 2014, housed under the Colorado Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice, Office for Victims Program, the Council coordinates statewide anti-human trafficking efforts. The 35-person council represents state and non-government agencies, law enforcement, prosecutors, regional coalitions and task forces, legal services, victim service providers, academia, faith-based organizations and survivor leaders.
The Council is designed to:
- Bring together leadership from community-based and statewide anti-trafficking efforts
- Build and enhance collaboration among communities and counties within the state
- Establish and improve comprehensive services for victims and survivors of human trafficking
- Assist in the successful prosecution of human traffickers
- Help prevent human trafficking in Colorado
Learn more about The Council’s Guiding Principles.
Statistics about human trafficking happening in Colorado can be hard to quantify, reinforcing the need for a public awareness campaign. Each year, the Colorado Human Trafficking Council publishes an Annual Report that lists the total number of cases filed using one of the human trafficking statutes. These crimes are often under-reported because there is a lack of understanding of what it looks like, who it happens to, and where it happens across the state.
