NJ law enforcement is cracking down on prostitution and human trafficking during Super Bowl week.
Over the years, NJ legislators have strengthened human trafficking laws as part of ongoing efforts to prevent forced prostitution. However, combating human trafficking will prove especially difficult in the week leading up to the Super Bowl.
Many of the prostitutes involved in Super Bowl week are from out of town, encouraged to come to NJ because of the sprawling highway system and proximity to New York City. It is estimated that as many as 400,000 people will come to the NJ area for the Super Bowl.
The sad truth is that virtually any major sporting or entertainment event is likely to attract an increasing number of sex traffickers.
NJ authorities have two main objectives regarding the sex trade during Super Bowl week: (1) arresting people who solicit prostitutes, and (2) helping victims of the sex trade. Authorities are particularly concerned about the exploitation of women and children who have been forced into sex trafficking. In many cases, prostitutes who are arrested during Super Bowl week will be offered assistance and counseling.
Not long after it was announced that the 2014 Super Bowl would take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, state and local law enforcement agencies began to train personnel, hospitality workers, high school students, and others on how to identify and report the signs of sex trafficking. According to acting Attorney General John Hoffman, the state has “enlisted, basically, every service provider that people coming to the Super Bowl are going to run into.”
Additionally, in an effort to assist law enforcement, community organizations have placed anti-prostitution posters around New Jersey and New York.
To learn more, read the NJ.com article entitled “N.J. Works to Curb Sex Trafficking Before Super Bowl.“
If you are facing criminal charges in New Jersey, contact Morristown NJ criminal defense attorney Alissa D. Hascup for a free consultation about your case.
