GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. WOOD) -- There’s no question that human trafficking happens in West Michigan.
In fact, Michigan State Police report it’s seen a “significant increase.”
Still, there’s no evidence that Michigan has more trafficking than other similarly-sized states.
Indeed, it might be that Michigan law enforcement is better equipped than many states to identify, combat and raise awareness of the problem.
“The biggest misconception is that we are number 2 for trafficking in the nation. That is not accurate,” said Michigan State Police Trooper Amy Bellanger in a recent Facebook Live presentation on the topic.
The widespread belief that Michigan is one the nation’s hotspots for human trafficking can be traced to the results of a three-day federal sting operation in 2013.
FULL STORY: WOOD TV