Westchester DA on ‘Trafficking in the Tri-State’ investigation: ‘Things have to change’
The “Trafficking in the Tri-State” investigation took the team to 105 local hotels and motels and discovered more than 80% of them were breaking New York state law by failing to post required trafficking hotline signage in all public restrooms.
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Westchester County's top law enforcement officer called the findings of a yearlong Turn to Tara investigation on human trafficking enforcement “unbelievable” and “terrible.”
"Things have to change," said Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace.
The “Trafficking in the Tri-State” investigation took the team to 105 local hotels and motels and discovered more than 80% of them were breaking New York state law by failing to post required trafficking hotline signage in all public restrooms.
MORE: Trafficking in the Tri-State: The Next Front
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"It says that people aren't aware that trafficking is taking place, and if the hotels and motels don't have these signs, they should be aware," said Cacace.
Cacace says most people still don't understand how widespread the crisis really is, including in her own county. New data never revealed before shows just how bad it is.
"Since 2023 in Westchester County, we've tripled our numbers in human trafficking," she says.
Cacace says awareness is everything, and that starts with making sure the law is followed. Since the law was enacted in 2018, News 12 found the state law requiring those hotline posters has never been enforced.
Despite that, Cacace believes many hotels know exactly what's happening inside their rooms and she's now vowing to take action.
"Almost every hotel in Westchester has some sort of sex trade going on, and I find it impossible to believe that the owners don't know that. And if the task force and the DA's office get together, I think we can...suggest to them that they should come into compliance," she says.
