Committee approves UA data-analytics agreement to support West Alabama human-trafficking task force

The Tuscaloosa City Public Safety Committee voted to approve authorization to execute a professional services agreement with the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse School data analytics department to support the West Alabama human-trafficking task force.

Fire Chief Clark presented the item and said the university team will provide data and analytics to help the task force identify trafficking patterns, improve investigations and support outreach. Clark told the committee the work focuses on human trafficking and prostitution-related offenses, including identifying family trafficking and online predation involving minors; he said the scope does not extend to narcotics investigations.

Clark said the effort will be supported in part by a grant; he described the project as operating under a two-year grant term but said he was not certain of the exact contract length. A committee member asked how the university and the task force were paired; Clark said the university proactively approached law enforcement because its academic work and practical solutions aligned with the task force’s needs.

A committee member moved and a second approved the authorization; the committee recorded the motion as passed by voice vote. Staff indicated the university’s grant will help offset some costs of the task-force operations.

Ending: The authorization will allow staff to finalize and execute the professional services agreement; the committee did not set additional conditions in the meeting transcript.