County seeks $550,000 federal grant to formalize human‑trafficking task force

Cumberland County Commissioners voted to approve an application for a $550,000 federal Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) grant to build a county‑level human‑trafficking response team.

Katie of the district attorney’s office said the three‑year proposal would fund a human‑trafficking response coordinator in the DA’s office who would work with a coordinator at the YWCA. “We are applying for $550,000 in federal funding for this grant, which would be over 3 years,” Katie said, describing the planned staff positions and investigative equipment and software the funding would cover.

The proposal, which the presenters have branded the Cumberland County Stop Trafficking Action Response Team (CCSTART), is intended to formalize and expand existing collaborations between law enforcement and nonprofit victim‑service providers. Maddie of the YWCA told commissioners the grant will address both sex and labor trafficking and will fund development of a strategic plan and an 18‑month needs assessment to guide local services. “This grant indicates both sex and labor trafficking,” Maddie said, adding that the YWCA already provides referrals for housing and other supports.

Jonathan, a law‑enforcement partner who described collaborative investigative work, said the county’s model has drawn attention at national training events. “This isn’t a local problem. This is a nationwide problem,” he said, describing past joint operations and training that informed the proposal.

The application would pair federal funds (presenters described the request as primarily federal with a required local match) with existing county and DA resources used as the match. The presenters said the grant is structured to demonstrate both law‑enforcement and human‑services buy‑in; the DA and the YWCA will be co‑applicants and will manage their own awarded funds rather than one being a subrecipient of the other. The exact local match dollar amount was not clearly stated in the transcript and is therefore not specified here.

Commissioners asked how the program would handle labor‑trafficking cases and immigration‑related needs. Maddie said the YWCA connects victims to immigration and legal resources as needed and noted a newly hired medical case manager who will focus in part on immigrant populations. The presenters said year‑three plans include hosting a statewide convening to share best practices and strengthen intercounty coordination.

The board approved the application by voice vote. The presenters said next steps will include finalizing the county’s application materials and submitting them through the OVC process.