Cutline: A three person panel met at NOC Enid to discuss the signs and solutions for human trafficking in Oklahoma. Front Row (L-R): Matt Varney, Mike Hoskins, Dr. Nyla Ali Kahn.
NOC Enid hosts human trafficking panel
Human trafficking experts discussed efforts and strategies to hinder the on-going human trafficking issue at a community forum at NOC Enid on Oct. 30, at the Gantz Center.
The forum was sponsored by NOC and the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women subcommittee led by Dr. Nyla Ali Kahn. Other panel experts included law enforcement officers Matt Varney and Mike Hoskins. Varney is an agent for the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control while Hoskins, a former Oklahoma City Police Officer and human trafficking consultant.
The forum started with a video of a young woman who was a groomed by a boyfriend which led to a human trafficking situation. The panel then discussed human trafficking explaining the many scenarios that can lead to human trafficking.
Each year, several thousand Oklahomans seek help from human trafficking situations.
“The commission for over a decade has worked to provide Oklahomans with information on human trafficking by hosting summits, expert panels and webinars,” Kahn said. “We have made recommendations to the state Legislature that have resulted in the establishment of an office to fight human trafficking through the state Attorney General’s Office.
“The definition of human trafficking is the use of force, fraud or coercion in the exploitation of someone to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act,” said Matt Varney, agent in charge of professional standards of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control.
The panel agreed most human trafficking in Oklahoma is not happening by people passing through on highways, but by members in their circle of trust, such as family members, friends or acquaintances, who entrap them into involuntary servitude through labor, sex or drugs.
“People especially vulnerable to this are people pleasers, especially female adolescents or women,” said Mike Hoskins, a national consultant on the subject. “They will try to become the boyfriend, groom them by spending time, attention and money on them until they fall into the trap.”
The Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women is focusing on rural colleges, universities, CareerTech schools and high schools. Many victims are unaware they are being trafficked because it is typically a slow, methodical recruitment process by a trusted relationship.
The commission is educating Oklahomans to recognize the first, second and third phases used by traffickers and empowering Oklahomans to stand strong and say, ‘Not Me, Not My Community’ to the trafficker.
“We must educate Oklahoma teens, young adults, teachers and parents on how to recognize early signs of a person being targeted for human trafficking servitude,” said Khan.
NOC president Diana Morris Watkins closed the panel discussion.
“We all agreed that bringing in programming to improve the safety and security of our campus communities is always a good idea. I’m grateful to our dean of students, Ryan Paul, and NOC Enid Vice President Jeremy Hise for doing the logistical work to make this happen,” said NOC President Diana Watkins.
The commission’s website is www.oklahoma.gov/ocsw. For more information to schedule a community conversation or obtain “Not Me, Not My Community” materials, contact the commission at ocswadmin@omes.ok.gov or call (405) 401-6970.
Suzie Byrd from the Enid News & Eagle contributed to this report.