FORT SMITH -- The Police Department is entering mutual-aid agreements with the Bentonville and Rogers police departments so officers in the Northwest Arkansas departments can receive training in handling human-trafficking investigations.
The Fort Smith directors Tuesday approved the agreements.
Police Chief Kevin Lindsey said the agreement allows the department to send Sgt. Chris Harris, head of the human-trafficking section of the department's street crimes unit, to Northwest Arkansas from Sept. 22 to 24 to train Rogers and Bentonville officers to work human-trafficking cases.
Fort Smith police have been working with the FBI and the U.S. attorney's office for 18 months to eliminate human trafficking in the area, Lindsey said.
"This is a serious problem, and it's a priority for the U.S. attorney, the FBI and our office," he said.
Lindsey said he received a letter last month from the FBI office in Little Rock requesting Fort Smith send someone to provide training for the officers in Rogers and Bentonville.
He said human trafficking mostly involves prostitution. But in many cases, the investigators find traffickers have used women and minors as sex slaves.
In an email statement Tuesday, acting U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elser for western Arkansas said several investigations by the Fort Smith Police Department and the FBI have resulted in the U.S. attorney's office prosecuting several individuals for human trafficking and related crimes.
Elser said the U.S. attorney's office is planning to hold a conference on human trafficking to bring together local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and others who are involved with trying to eradicate human trafficking from the western Arkansas district.
"The recent number of convictions in our district for human trafficking or related crimes is the result of outstanding cooperation and efforts by local law enforcement and the FBI," Elser said.
The Rogers Police Department on Tuesday said the mutual aid agreement will enable the Fort Smith Police Department to instruct its officers in human trafficking.
"This is more to get us prepared in the event that we begin to have issues with human trafficking and so we know what to look for," department spokesman Keith Foster said.
NW News on 09/17/2015