Jun. 11—Mel Alvar stops talking mid-sentence. The Duluth Police Department is on the other line. This is one call she can return later, but they're not all like that. Alvar is a regional navigator for Safe Harbor, an arm of the Minnesota Department of Health, which funds shelter, legal protection and more for sexually trafficked or exploited youths. She described her role as the Google of .
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New Commission to Fight Against Human Trafficking Created for City of Superior
On March 2nd, the Superior City Council voted to create a special city commission dedicated to combat and address the issue of human trafficking in the city.
March 5, 2021
SUPERIOR, Wis. – On March 2nd, the Superior City Council voted to create a special city commission dedicated to combat and address the issue of human trafficking in the city.
To fill the new Commercial Sexual Exploitation Commission, the city council president will appoint one councilor every year and the mayor will assign five members from the community. Members will serve for three-year terms. Mayor Jim Paine hopes having a diverse group will help their efforts for policy reform and supporting human trafficking victims.
Bergum worked with Superior School Board member Laura Gapske to put together the proposal for the council to consider. Their goal is to create a trauma-informed response to trafficking in Superior by researching the local impact, providing training and building relationships with agencies and organizations to help survivors.
Gapske first became aware of the issue working overnight in a local shelter more than a decade ago that served victims of sexual assault. After that, she started researching the issue.
“This is happening in our community,” Gapske said. “This is an issue that is under the radar. People don’t necessarily know what to look for . or what to do.”