The greater new orleans human trafficking task force (GNOHTTF) will expand operations and partnerships, implement a sustainability plan, and assist the office of justice (OJP) in building capacity…

The greater new orleans human trafficking task force (GNOHTTF) will expand operations and partnerships, implement a sustainability plan, and assist the office of justice (OJP) in building capacity in the field. The lead law enforcement applicant, orleans parish district attorney (OPDA), and the lead victim service provider applicant, covenant house new orleans (CHNO), are CO- administering the project for the three-year period. OPDA is requesting $750,000 and CHNO is requesting $750,000 for a combined ask of $1.5 million. OPDA and CHNO will collaborate with the federal bureau of investigation (FBI), homeland security investigations (HSI) and united states attorney's office for the eastern district of louisiana (USAO) as members of the GNOHTTF core team. The GNOHTTF mission is to combat human trafficking through seamless victim-centered collaboration between law enforcement and service providers. Service providers that collaborate with GNOHTTF are located in jefferson and orleans (coterminous with the city of new orleans) parishes, which accept client referrals from surrounding parishes in the greater new orleans metropolitan area (plaquemines, ST. Bernard, ST. Charles, ST. James, ST. John the baptist and ST. Tammany). There was a total of 386 trafficking investigations reported to OJP for the FY2018 ECM grant cycle, and a total of 34 prosecutions. The number of victims served by CHNO and the funded partners is an aggregate of 319 victims for the last three years as reported to the office for victims of crimes. Victim service providers reported that 11% of the total open client cases served were exclusively labor trafficking victims during this current grant funding cycle, which is a 112% increase over the previous grant funding cycle.