In this Part II Pedagogy Education piece, we look further at Saved in America’s efforts when it comes to finding and rescuing children on American soil. One successful case was Maureen’s, a missing 16-year-old who had disappeared while riding her bike to her friend’s house. She was found and returned to her family thanks to Saved in America. Maureen’s family explains the frustration they faced before Saved in America stepped in and got involved. 

“We knew the police were treating her like a runaway, and they just weren’t doing much. We were trying to do all we could  ourselves, but it was like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

Maureen was found less than three weeks after her family contacted Saved in America and got the organization involved. It turns out that Maureen’s parents were right, the girl was not a runaway in the traditional sense. Instead, she had been tricked into taking a ride from a man and ended up sold into a sex slavery ring. 

Most Police Forces Welcome The Help

Law enforcement agencies around the nation are overworked and understaffed. Add to this the immense focus it takes to track down and find even one missing or exploited kid, and it's understandable that police departments are simply overwhelmed and unable to adequately meet this growing need. Thankfully, due to the professionalism of Saved in America and their volunteers’ professional experience, most agencies are happy for their help. San Diego County Chief Deputy District Attorney said the following about additional ways Saved in America has helped agencies like his, “They can be very helpful because victims sometimes don’t trust the police.” This is yet another benefit of Saved in America and is a great reason to have them on board during a missing or exploited child case. 

The Problem is Immense

The scope of the human trafficking industry, even on American soil is astounding. Founder Joseph Travers explained it as follows:

“People don’t realize this is going on in their own backyards. This isn’t some faraway country with very poor people. This could be your next-door neighbor, your child, anyone’s child. A lot of these kids are from middle-class families in the United States. They aren’t incredibly poor or involved in abuse or bad situations.”

This showcases the immense problem of human trafficking in America and further explains the importance of Saved in America’s efforts all over the nation.