Dear John,

FORTY-FIVE. 

That's how many contacts I had with law enforcement during the five years I was trafficked. 

45.

From traffic stops to domestic violence calls to welfare checks to arrests — each one was a missed opportunity. Not once was I screened for trafficking. No one ever asked the right questions. I was listed as the offender on my arrest paperwork. The “victim”? It said “society.”

But this was between 2008 and 2012. Domestic trafficking of U.S. citizens wasn’t even formally acknowledged in the U.S. government’s annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report until 2010. 

The officers I had contact with didn't know what to look for or what questions to ask. Heck, I didn't even know that I was being trafficked!

That’s why today, when I train law enforcement, I open with my mug shots. Eleven of them, all on the screen. And I start with this:

“After being in your back seat eleven times, it’s an honor to be here in front of you today.”

​​​​​​Over the last decade, I've trained and worked alongside law enforcement across the U.S. I've provided education on survivor-centered and trauma-informed best practices. I've brought staff in to assist with resources during intervention operations. I've coached officers on getting probable cause through chatting for demand operations. I've educated and advocated with agencies to ensure they are not arresting victims, whether they self identify in that moment or not. And I've worked to build intel pre-operation to ensure intervention efforts were focused on individuals who had confirmed third-party controllers.

And I’m not alone.

There are so many survivors leading this work. We bring lived experience, field expertise, education, and a deep commitment to changing systems — so that what happened to us doesn’t happen to anyone else. Together, we are committed to ensuring that the things that happened to us don't happen to others, and the people who can help us are equipped to do so.

That’s why I’m so proud to lead Polaris. We’re building bridges and repairing trust — with law enforcement, with survivors, and with every community impacted by trafficking.

Since 2007, Polaris has referred nearly 32,000 unique instances of trafficking to our law enforcement partners — with 2,700 of those referrals happening in 2024 alone.

Your support makes that possible. Thank you!

Because of you, we’re equipping frontline responders with the tools to recognize trafficking and respond with care. We’re ensuring survivors are met with dignity — not disbelief. And we’re moving closer to a world where no one falls through the cracks.

Thank you for believing in this work — and in what’s possible when we do it together.