Polk County supervisor proposes task force on human trafficking after urgent local estimates

Polk County Supervisor Jill Altringer told local leaders she is convening a task force and think tank to address human trafficking in Polk County after she was given early briefings that, she said, suggest substantial local prevalence.

"Three different independent groups... estimate that over 1,000 people are trafficked in Polk County every day," Altringer said, describing that figure as "unacceptable" and calling for coordinated county action focused on demand reduction and improved services for survivors.

Altringer said the initial county effort will identify "who the players are, what roles they have," and chart missing services. She told the group she plans to bring a resolution to the board’s next agenda to begin formal coordination: "That's actually the start, and that's the proposal I have, and I think we'll have the resolution on the next agenda," she said.

Key priorities she identified include focusing on demand (people who buy sex) rather than only traffickers, and clarifying services for children who are survivors — noting concerns about placements that could return children to high-risk situations. "We need to focus on the demand," she said. "There would not be this industry if it wasn't for the demand."

Altringer emphasized the county's limited jurisdiction compared with the state and federal government but said Polk County can make targeted local interventions and partner with legislators and state agencies. She described early contacts with legislators and other stakeholders who have offered to collaborate, and framed the task force as an early-stage planning and gap-analysis effort rather than an enforcement action by the county.

What remains unverified in the meeting: the supervisor attributed the "over 1,000 people" figure to three independent groups she encountered while starting the work; the estimate was presented as information she had received and was not substantiated with documentation during the session. The claim is therefore recorded here as an assertion from the supervisor and unresolved pending outside verification.

Altringer said the county will try to align local partners, develop a strategy and "build out a task force and a strategy based on that." She also said she wants trafficking "buyers to fear coming into Polk County" and that she will pursue partnerships to make the county less hospitable to traffickers and buyers.

The session produced no formal vote; Altringer said a related resolution is expected on an upcoming board agenda.