January is recognized as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month in the United States.

For the past nine years, the EPPD has made human trafficking prevention and enforcement one of our top priorities.

Investigators from Eden Prairie collaborate with law enforcement personnel from Bloomington, Richfield, Minnetonka, Plymouth and Maple Grove as part of the “494 Corridor Group” with the goal to investigate crimes related to human trafficking along Interstate 494 and to recover human trafficking victims. In 2025 that group arrested 33 sex buyers during sting operations, including 12 arrests in Eden Prairie.

We are fortunate to have several community groups donate funding and supplies for comfort kits for human trafficking victims that include basic necessities such as food, clothing, gas cards, person hygiene products and hand-knit hats.

If you or someone you know is being sexually exploited or trafficked please call 911 or the MN Day One Crisis Line at 1-866-223-1111.