When HTI launched in Texas a year ago, the goals were simple: strengthen the criminal justice response to human trafficking in key, strategic communities. Twelve months later, the results speak for themselves.
“This first year in Texas has exceeded our expectations in every way,” Lindsey Lane, Director of U.S. Programs, said. “When you sit across from a law enforcement officer or a prosecutor and watch something click – watch them see trafficking in a way they never did before – you know this work is making a difference.”
The Work and What it Produced
In 2025, HTI delivered 54 trainings to 635 practitioners, including 528 police officers and 75 prosecutors, across our five partner counties: Denton, Fort Bend, Lubbock, Montgomery, and Williamson. These were not surface-level awareness sessions. Each training brought together multidisciplinary participants and incorporated practical case scenarios, applied exercises, and strategies they could implement immediately in their jurisdictions. The focus was on building foundational investigative and prosecutorial expertise, strengthening cross-agency collaboration, and promoting victim-centered approaches.
The response from participants reflects just how much this kind of targeted support is needed:
- 93% reported an increased knowledge of human trafficking signs, indicators, and dynamics
- 81% reported an improved understanding of relevant case law and state-specific trafficking statutes
- 90+% reported feeling very or extremely confident identifying trafficking indicators
- 80-90% indicated they were very or extremely likely to apply what they learned in their daily work
“As a patrol deputy, I felt out of place sitting in a room full of investigators and prosecutors,” a patrol officer who attended one of these trainings shared. “I am absolutely glad that I did. I can only imagine how many times I ran into trafficking victims and didn’t even notice. Being on the frontline of my department, I think this is a course that everyone on patrol level should be taking.”
Beyond formal trainings, HTI provided ongoing mentorship and support to 28 agencies, including case consultation on active investigations, interview preparation, charging considerations, and access to victim-centered resources. HTI also shared practical tools such as sample search warrants and subpoenas, and in some instances facilitated dialogue between prosecutors and law enforcement to strengthen investigative approaches while prioritizing victim safety.
Why This Matters
The need in Texas is significant. The state ranks second in the nation for human trafficking hotline signals, with nearly 15,000 reports and over 9,000 identified victims between 2019 and 2023. Yet only 14% of Texas counties have ever recorded a single trafficking conviction – not because people don’t care, but because these are among the most complex cases in the criminal justice system.
What’s Next
The success of these first five partner counties is now a blueprint for a statewide strategy. In 2026, HTI will partner with additional counties and will enter a structured phase of baseline data collection to track how training, collaboration, and mentorship contribute to improved investigations and prosecutions across the state.
Most importantly, officers and prosecutors are going to continue developing their expertise to hold more traffickers accountable and keep more people safe across Texas.
