Evolving Police Responses to Human Trafficking: Lessons Learned from Three Jurisdictions

As a Senior Policy Advisor at the Office for Victims of Crime, USDOJ, Alissa develops and implements national criminal justice system policy initiatives. Her current portfolio includes oversight of the Enhanced Collaborative Model (ECM) Task Force to Combat Human Trafficking programming and related training and technical assistance to ECMs, law enforcement, prosecution and victim service provider partners. Alissa worked previously at the Bureau of Justice Assistance (DOJ) supporting a range of law enforcement and community-based crime reduction initiatives. Prior to joining DOJ, Alissa worked for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) where she oversaw grant programs that advance policy and practice within the law enforcement profession. Before joining the IACP, Alissa worked for Circle Solutions, Inc., providing research and evaluation services for the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) supported Cops in Schools program.  Ms. Huntoon earned her B.A. in Sociology with an emphasis in criminal justice from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and her Master’s of Public Policy from American University

Sergeant Shade McMillian, a proud Florida native, has dedicated over 18 years to law enforcement, serving with distinction at the Leon County Sheriff’s Office in Tallahassee since 2005. Rising through the ranks, he became a Sergeant in 2021, having held critical positions such as Field Training Officer, School Resource Deputy, Violent Crimes Detective, Public Information Officer, and Sergeant in Youth and Young Adult Services, Violent Crimes Unit, and Special Investigations/Human Trafficking Unit.

In 2023, Sergeant McMillian played a pivotal role in establishing the Capital City Human Trafficking Task Force (CCHTTF), a collaborative effort involving federal, state, and local law enforcement aimed at combating human trafficking in Florida, with a focus on the state capitol, Tallahassee.

Sergeant McMillian has been a dedicated member of the Florida Gang Investigators Association, serving as North Central Florida Regional Director on the Board of Directors since 2013. An expert in his field, he regularly trains law enforcement officers and school administrators statewide on critical topics including human trafficking, school safety, and gang awareness.

Robin Hassler Thompson, M.A., J.D., is the Executive Director of the Survive and Thrive Advocacy Center (STAC), an anti-trafficking non-profit she helped to co-found in 2015. She is an active member of the Big Bend Coalition Against Human Trafficking. In 2001 she traveled to Bangladesh on a U.S. State Department mission, which included a visit to a trafficking rescue shelter in Dhaka. This so inspired her that since then, she has directed and collaborated on many anti-trafficking projects, produced and conducted anti-human trafficking training programs, and authored numerous publications and curricula on both sex and labor trafficking. Robin has served on and held leadership positions on local, state, and national boards and committees including the Florida Supreme Court-appointed Commission on Access to Civil Justice and the Tallahassee/Leon County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. Robin led Florida’s first Task Force on Domestic and Sexual Violence and served on the National Advisory Council on Violence Against Women. She holds both a J.D. and a master's degree from Florida State University and a B.A. from American University in Washington, D.C.

Natasha Haunsperger has been a Portland Police Officer for sixteen years and in her current position as a Community Engagement Lead, she has been working on addressing complex criminal justice-related issues with immigrant and refugee communities in the Portland Metro area. Officer Haunsperger is currently working on developing holistic and innovative platforms for onboarding immigrants, refugees, communities of color, and other vulnerable and historically marginalized communities in the process of justice reforms. Officer Haunsperger also co-produced a documentary film on foreign-born labor trafficking, "Reclaiming Their Lives," and is actively working on raising public awareness about trafficking trends in the Pacific Northwest. Officer Haunsperger is committed to developing a training curriculum for first responders and community-based stakeholders, focusing on early detection and identification of labor trafficking activities and victims’ identification and rescue. In addition, she engages as an advocate with groups focused on issues of gender, socio-economic justice, and civil and human rights for justice-impacted women, with a particular focus on uplifting the voices of women in the areas of domestic and international security, conflict resolution, and peace-building processes.

Hilary Burgess joined the International Association of Chiefs of Police in 2018. She has served as a Senior Project Manager since 2022 for multiple Department of Justice (DOJ) Office for Victims of Crime anti-human trafficking initiatives. Hilary first gained valuable experience working for four years on the DOJ COPS Office-funded Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC) program where she managed technical assistance delivery and resource development for the policing field. She previously worked for the National Sheriffs' Association for over 13 years where she served in multiple capacities, including Director of Professional Development. Hilary is a skilled project manager, earning a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California.

Alexander Jones serves as the Chief of Police for the City of Arlington, Texas. He leads the department in the 48th largest city in the country with almost 900 sworn officers and professional staff members with an annual budget of $109 million dollars.

Chief Jones began his policing career with the Baltimore County Police Department in 1995 and quickly rose through the ranks to become the department's second highest-ranking officer. He previously served as the Colonel of Operations overseeing ten police precincts, patrol operations, Safe School Division, Youth and Community Service Section, and the Support Operations Division.

Chief Jones also served as the Bureau Chief of Community Relations, which included the Community Resource and Wellness Section and the Youth and Community Service Section. The focus of the bureau was on community relations and building trust with the communities of Baltimore County. He was instrumental in establishing many successful youth programs.

Chief Jones obtained a Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Ashworth College and received an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the University of Hartford.