The Effect of a Social Network Analysis Strategy on Reducing Human Sex Trafficking

• In Event: Smart Policing Initiative: Rethinking and Refocusing Police Intelligence and Activities to Enhance Public Safety

Abstract

In 2019, the Houston Police Department (HPD) received a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The Smart Policing Initiative (SPI) project was to utilize social network analysis (SNA) to disrupt networks of individuals and groups involved in human sex trafficking. More specifically, SNA would be used to aid the investigations into individuals and groups who support and operate sex trafficking in the Bissonnet Street area, a well-known location for its sex trade. The SNA project was launched in September 2019 and ended in June 2023. The current study focuses on a process evaluation of the SNA initiative to determine whether the project was associated with changes in prostitution arrests. Results of the process evaluation identify the challenges and successes HPD experienced while implementing SNA to address the sex trade and human sex trafficking. Results of the interrupted time series analysis of the trends in prostitution arrests indicate that the SNA intervention was not associated with increasing numbers of prostitution arrests in the Westside Division. Meanwhile, performing social network analysis of intelligence data collected by the Westside Division of HPD does exhibit that SNA is a promising tool that can be utilized to establish human trafficking networks. The study provides lessons other agencies can learn when attempting similar initiatives and offers directions for future research.

Authors

• Yan Zhang, Sam Houston State University

• Reece Hardy, Houston Police Department

• William Wells, Sam Houston State University