Bloomington first Illinois city certified as Partner in Peace after citywide human trafficking training

Bloomington received the Center for Prevention of Abuse’s Partner in Peace certification at the July 14 City Council meeting after city leaders completed trainings and adopted policies the center requires, the center’s CEO told council.

Carol Murna, CEO of the Center for Prevention of Abuse, said Bloomington met certification benchmarks including training at least 75% of full‑time city staff in human trafficking awareness and prevention, implementing an internal anti‑trafficking policy and establishing a formal reporting protocol for staff. The proclamation presented to the center noted the council also amended the city code related to massage establishment licenses as part of the city’s efforts to address illicit massage operations.

“Human trafficking is often described as a hidden crime lurking in the shadows,” Murna told council. “Collectively, meeting these four important goals is a powerful statement that the city of Bloomington has a commitment to safeguarding every resident.”

Mayor Dan Brady presented the proclamation to Murna and thanked the center and city staff; city staff later told council that about 474 employees completed training coordinated by the city’s human resources department at no cost from the center. Staff emphasized the training is intended to make employees “eyes and ears” in the community so they can identify and report suspected trafficking and connect victims to services.

Council members applauded the certification and staff for coordinating the training. The mayor and staff encouraged other municipalities and organizations to seek similar training and partnership resources from the Center for Prevention of Abuse.