Silver State Times

The Nevada U.S. Attorney’s Office recently recognized nine different law enforcement officers and special agents, with positions ranging from the federal to the local level, for going above and beyond the call of duty in 2021. 

Each had risked their life and safety in the service of the U.S. Justice Department. Contributions of outstanding service ranged from reducing violent crime to fighting human trafficking.

“These awards honor law enforcement’s commitment to maintaining public safety across Nevada," acting U.S. attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada said in a statement. "Each recipient has made a significant impact in our communities, and our office is grateful for the opportunity to work with them.”

Recipients of recognition from the Nevada U.S. Attorney’s Office worked for the FBI, the Henderson Police Department, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Among recipients, individuals were honored for their dedication, contributions and collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office toward reducing crime, combatting human trafficking and preventing fraud, a December release states. 

Human trafficking is an area of heightened interest among law enforcement groups. The U.S. federal government awarded $101 million last year combatting human trafficking.

According to the UNLV Center for Crime and Justice Policy, Nevada is ninth in the nation for most human trafficking cases, reporting 199 in a single year. In Nevada sex trafficking is the most common form of trafficking, comprising 89% of trafficking cases in the state. 

This is higher than the national percentage of sex trafficking cases, where 71% of total trafficking cases are centered around selling sex.

According to the Justice Department Website, the U.S. federal government awarded $101 million last year combatting human trafficking.

"The scourge of human trafficking is the modern-day equivalent of slavery, brutally depriving victims of basic human rights and essential physical needs as it erodes their sense of dignity and self-worth," then Attorney General William Barr said in a September 2020 press release. "The Department of Justice is relentless in its fight against the perpetrators of these heinous crimes. Working with state and local law enforcement and community victim service providers, we will continue to bring these criminals to justice and deliver critical aid to survivors.”