Worcester County is one of two areas in the state using a multi-agency approach to fight human trafficking. 

“As a survivor and leader of a front line program, I’m grateful to say, we no longer feel invisible,” Nikki Bell, founder of Living in Freedom Together in Worcester, said. 

Bell founded LIFT, a local support organization for victims of sex trade. She said the local and state effort is making a difference. 

“Worcester has really changed the landscape as far as resources for survivors,” Bell said. “It set an example about how a community should stand along survivors as we work towards liberation from systems of prostitution, equitable representation and equal rights across gender and racial identities.”

To ramp up prevention, the state expanded on its high-risk victim unit with the Massachusetts State Police in 2019 and launched pilot programs with the Worcester and Hampden County District Attorney offices. 

“We’ve been able to focus on human trafficking in all its forms.” Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said. “It’s an issue and a topic that so many people know so little about. When you say human trafficking, you have to explain it and what we did was we brought out all of our supports working together.”  

The pilot programs use resources from the DA’s office, local police, state police, and advocacy groups to reach a common goal. The primary focus is treating survivors as victims, not criminals. 

“The gut wrenching aspects of this crime,” Early said. “You see these young girls that are trafficked and you look at it and say how do we get better.”

Bell said the effort is working, but a lot more needs to be done because more victims need help. She said LIFT’s emergency shelters are full almost every night. 

The state said the plan is to replicate what Worcester is doing and bring it to other parts of the state to get more victims the help they need.