The leon county sheriffs office (lcso), in partnership with homeland security investigations (HSI) and the capital city human trafficking task force, proposes a targeted initiative to combat violent…

The Community Oriented Policing Program at the Department of Justice awarded the Leon County Sheriff's Office $174,996 on October 1, 2025, under the Public Safety Partnership and Community Policing Grants program (CFDA 16.710) to conduct targeted investigations into illicit massage businesses and human trafficking in Tallahassee and the surrounding region.

The recipient will deploy a task force model in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations and the Capital City Human Traffic Task Force to identify, investigate, and dismantle illicit massage businesses operating as commercial fronts for organized trafficking operations. Work includes development of actionable intelligence, undercover operations, collaboration with code enforcement and victim service providers, training delivery, and public outreach. The project incorporates a robust evaluation strategy to measure reductions in illicit massage business-linked crime and increases in community awareness.

Performance extends across Tallahassee, Florida and the surrounding region through September 30, 2027. The Leon County Sheriff's Office is a local government law enforcement agency based in Tallahassee that serves as the primary law enforcement entity for Leon County and has maintained active federal award registration since October 2004.

The leon county sheriffs office (lcso), in partnership with homeland security investigations (HSI) and the capital city human trafficking task force, proposes a targeted initiative to combat violent crime and human trafficking through proactive investigations into illicit massage businesses (imbs). Imbs often serve as commercial fronts for organized trafficking operations that exploit vulnerable individuals and facilitate violent crimes such as sexual assault, coercion, and labor trafficking. This project will use a task force model and community policing strategies to identify, investigate, and dismantle imbs operating in tallahassee and the surrounding region. Activities will include the development of actionable intelligence, deployment of undercover operations, and collaboration with code enforcement, victim service providers, and other stakeholders. The project will be supported by training, public outreach, and a robust evaluation strategy to measure reductions in IMB-linked crime and increases in community awareness.