BE IT RESOLVED, that Agreement A188628 with the Women's Foundation of Minnesota for prosecution of sex trafficking efforts for the period March 1, 2018 through February 28, 2019 in the receivable amount of $100,000, be approved; that the Chair of the Board be authorized to sign the Agreement on behalf of the county; and that the Controller be authorized to accept and disburse funds as directed; and

BE  IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the acceptance of grant funding does not imply a continued funding commitment by the county for this program when grant funds are no longer available.

BE  IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a supplemental appropriation of $80,000 and 1.0 analyst positons for the prosecution of sex trafficking efforts be applied to the 2018 Hennepin County Attorney's Office budget.

Sex trafficking cases are amongst the most difficult to detect, investigate, and prosecute. Of the 235 statewide sex trafficking arrests in 2016, 89 (38%) of the arrests were made in Hennepin County. The number of sex trafficking and prostitution cases submitted to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office increased from 27 in 2015 to 95 in 2017.

In 2016 the Hennepin County Board designated a prosecutor, investigator and analyst to investigate and prosecute sex trafficking crimes. Current efforts prioritize “Guardian Angel” victim recovery with a secondary focus on victim advocacy, investigation and prosecution of misdemeanor sex trafficking cases. Sting investigations targeting online solicitations and utilizing undercover agents recover victims and bring numerous misdemeanor cases against sex buyers.

The grant from the Women’s Foundation will provide an analyst, focusing additional resources on ongoing sex trafficking investigations and targeting felony-level prosecutions. These efforts will reduce sex trafficking crime and recover trafficking victims. The analyst will use proactive investigative techniques and analysis to target traffickers and obtain felony convictions. Regular meetings with the assigned prosecutor will share intelligence, case updates, and investigative targets.