A dozen people were arrested in Kansas City’s Northland last week in an organized effort to combat human trafficking, according to a press release from the Ray County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook.
The Clay, Clinton, Platte and Ray County sheriff’s offices, along with the Kearney Police Department, hosted “a proactive countertrafficking operation in their jurisdiction,” according to the post.
They were assisted by a slew of police departments, highway patrol, the Missouri Department of Social Services and Homeland Security, according to the post.
As a result of the operation, seven suspects were arrested and booked for attempting to purchase sex services with a child, three were arrested for attempting to buy sex, and two were arrested for promoting and engaging people to engage in prostitution, according to the post.
The Ray County Sheriff’s Office said the operation was designed to “reduce the demand for victimization of victim-survivors in sex trafficking in these communities” and to provide services to support potential victims.
“Human trafficking won’t be tolerated in our communities now or ever,” the post said.
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