MARSHALLTOWN – Marshall County is taking extra steps to fight human trafficking. Police are partnering with a local group called Lost Watch to hand out flyers that tell businesses what to do if they spot human trafficking.
Don’t walk into the Best Western hotel in Marshalltown and think you’ll get away with human trafficking. “We will report you,” says General Manager Collin Northcutt.
Northcutt and his employees are trained to spot any odd behavior in guests. “A much older man with a younger girl who doesn’t seem to be very outgoing who may have bruises or scars.”
They’re not the only ones at risk.
“The traffickers prey on at risk populations, for instance non English speakers, immigrants communities, people with past drug problems,” says Northcutt.
There’s no doubt Northcutt knows how to protect his employees and guests, but he believes other businesses should be able to do the same. “Central Iowa is for sure an area that we have to keep an eye on.”
His voice is being heard. The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, alongside Last Watch has been handing out these flyers to hotels and gas stations. Teaching them how to spot and respond to signs of human trafficking.
Northcutt says “It is extremely important to have a community where it is being talked about and where the police is being aware of this it creates a partnership that protects everyone in the community.”
Police and experts like Northcutt want to stress, if you come across something that appears to be human trafficking, don’t take it in your own hands. Instead, call police.
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department says they’ve handed out the last batch of flyers. They hope more businesses like the Best Western continue to get additional training on human trafficking.