By Tyler Trieglaff

Notes from the Chief

There have been several reports lately in the Fargo/Moorhead area of some suspicious activity regarding potential human trafficking.  

Below is an article that I found online (www.allprodad.com) outlaying basic safety skills to keep us all safe.  This is more of a reminder and is a bit outdated.  I will have some more information in the coming weeks.

Human trafficking generates an estimated $32 billion per year in revenue and many of the victims are children. Learning about keeping kids safe from abduction is important because every child is at risk. Here is what you need to know. The average age a teen enters the sex trade in the U.S. is 12-to-14 years old.  Many victims are runaway girls who were sexually abused as children More than 80 percent of the 600,000-800,000 people trafficked across international borders are female and half are children. As of 2012, more than 100,000 U.S. children are forced to engage in prostitution or pornography annually. 

That number is sure to have grown in the past eight years. Men, if you’ve engaged in or used any form of adult entertainment, please consider that you may have supported human trafficking and that you’re exploiting a person when you choose to partake in adult entertainment. Major events and tourist attractions have become targets to find victims for human trafficking. We encourage you to do everything you can to ensure the safety of your kids. 

Here are 26 tips for keeping kids safe from child abduction:

1. Know your name, address, and phone number(s).

2. Learn how and when to call 911.

3. If you are scared of someone, run to safety.

4. It’s okay to be rude to a grownup if you feel you are unsafe.

5. Learn the difference between an “OK” secret and a “not OK” secret and beware of an adult who asks you to keep a secret from your parents.

6. Don’t let anyone on the phone or at the door know that you are home alone.

7. If you ever get lost in a mall, ask the closest store clerk for help and then stay where you are until you are found.

8. Avoid shortcuts when you are walking from one place to another.

9. If you are ever “scooped up,” scream, kick, bite and fight as hard as you can to get away!  Never trust what the “scooper” tells you.

10. Tell your parents or a trusted adult if someone is asking you to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable. Listen to your “uh oh” voice.

11. Always ask your parents for permission before getting on the internet.

12. Never talk to people online without your parents’ permission.

13. Never fear someone else threatening you to keep a secret and not tell your parents.

Safety Tips for Parents:

1. Work hard to establish trust and communication with your children from day one.

2. Don’t ever leave children unattended in a vehicle, whether it is running or not.

3. Make sure you know how to find or contact your children at all times.

4. Have a “call list” of emergency contacts and make sure your child knows the numbers for who to call if they can’t reach you.

5. Take an active role in your children’s activities.

6. As tired as you may be, take the time to listen intently to your children when they tell you they had a bad dream. There could be a reason. Trust your instincts.

7. Talk to your children about inappropriate incidences you hear on the news and get their perspectives.

8. Question and monitor anyone who takes an unusual interest in your children.

9. Teach your children that they can be rude to an adult if they feel threatened in any way. They need to hear it from you directly because this message often contradicts everything they have heard before.

10. Teach children the difference between an “OK” secret and a “not OK” secret. Assure your children that you would never want them to feel like they should keep a “not OK” secret from you.

11. Have your children practice their most annoying scream. They may need to use it someday.

12. Check websites for registered offenders in your neighborhood. Talk to your children about why these people should be avoided.

13. Keep your family computer in a central location that is easily monitored and avoid letting your children have internet access in unsupervised areas (such as computers in their bedrooms).

Friday, Feb. 5

5:52 p.m. Report of court order violation. No violation occurred as male party had not been served Order For Protection paperwork yet.

8:37 p.m. Child’s backpack found in the middle of Co. Hwy. 10.  

Saturday, Feb. 6

3:46 p.m. Vehicle unlock on 4th St SW.

Monday, Feb. 8

3:54 p.m. Vehicle unlock on S. Lake St.

5:04 p.m. Report of a male continuing to purchase Sudafed from a local business.  Store was limiting quantities of the medication as it is a main ingredient of methamphetamine. Party was getting upset when store would not sell to him.

5:41 p.m. Welfare check on female who has not been seen for a couple days. Unable to locate.

Tuesday, Feb. 9

Couple of traffic stops.  Too dang cold to do anything else.

Wednesday, Feb. 10

3:43 p.m. Report of court order violation.  Male calling to report that the mother of his child was packing up to leave that area and/or state.  Officer talked with male for some time and determined that there was not any court paperwork in place preventing mom from leaving with the little one.  In Minnesota the unwed mother has full legal and physical custody unless there is a recognition of parentage and/or court paperwork in place. With married parents, the rules change a bit. Officer told the dad there was not much he could do, but that he needed to get come documentation from the courts regarding the custody of the child.

5:30 p.m. Report of a resident missing from the Frazee Care Center Assisted Living. Resident was found before officer arrived.

Thursday, Feb. 11

8:47 a.m. Welfare check requested on some young children who had not been showing up to school.

10:02 a.m. Assist with a medical.

11:08 a.m. Traffic stop with citation for Driving After Revocation issued to Michael Gullard, 41 Frazee.

3:57 p.m. Assist human services with a home visit.