Burlington Police Meet with Local Hotel Staff to Discuss Human Trafficking

BURLINGTON—On Jan. 11, Burlington Police Department met with managers and employees from of all six area hotels to discuss prostitution and human trafficking. Over the past two years, detectives and hotel managers have worked on multiple sting operations to diminish sex crimes in the community. Many johns and prostitution rings use Craigslist and Backpage to coordinate meetings at local hotels.

Screenshot of Burlington-area Backpage site

“Prostitution is not a victimless crime,” Chief Kent said in a statement about the meeting, which was made public today. “More often than not, listings that have historically appeared on websites like Craigslist and Backpage are advertising victims of human trafficking. I applaud our hotel industry in Burlington for working with the police department to address these issues.” According to the Coalition on Human Trafficking, 70-80 percent of all human sex trafficking happens in hotels.

The meeting was held at Grand View Farm, where detectives shared a presentation with employees that they had previously shown at a large conference in Boston for the Human Trafficking Cities Empowered Against Sexual Exploitation (CEASE) coalition.

How are hotel managers involved?

Hotel managers are now promoting human trafficking awareness in their training programs, and are advised to call the police department if they suspect trafficking taking place. Some hotels are partnering with police departments for "reverse stings." These have led to two major sex trafficking cases since 2015, and dozens of arrests.

John Guilfoil, a press representative for the department, told Patch, One of the ways the police and hotels have worked is by setting up reverse sting operations and have potential customers go to hotels." He thinks the proximity of Burlington to three major highways makes it an important location for continued efforts.

34-year-old Sanisha Johnson of Brooklyn was murdered in the Extended Stay America Hotel in Burlington after being shot during a robbery. She had posted on Backpage, a classifieds website, as an escort, and was meeting Epshod Jeune of Burlington and Derrell Fisher of Roxbury when they robbed her at gunpoint. They had already robbed another escort at a different hotel in the area.

In Dec. 2014, the department arrested seven men and one woman during a sweep-- after an undercover officer posted an ad online offering sex for a fee.