GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The 2025 NFL Draft looks to bring hundreds of thousands of football fans to Northeast Wisconsin. Consequently, it’s likely to create a greater threat of human trafficking.
“Our organization did research when Detroit had the draft last and talked with other local non-profits there, and they saw an increase in emergency hotlines being called and emergency services being needed and placement services as well,” Awaken Chief Program Officer Hannah Burkle said.
Because of that, Awaken — a sexual trafficking advocacy nonprofit group — is working to increase education before next April, when the NFL Draft comes to Green Bay.
Burkle said it’s first important to realize the current reality of the issue of human trafficking in the area.
“It happens across socioeconomic means and different genders and different races,” Burkle said.
Now, Brown County is considering ways to be proactive in combating the issue.
“We would be naïve to think that it’s not right under our nose here, especially with a large crowd of people coming,” County Supervisor Dixon Wolfe said.
Wolfe is pushing for more to be done to prevent trafficking ahead of the draft.
“Possible ordinances, resolutions to possibly crack down on some of the businesses that might be allowing some of these processes to happen,” Wolfe said.
He’s asking the county look into potential strategies.
“I’m someone that’s passionate about protecting men, women and children against the dangers of trafficking,” Wolfe said. “I’m just urging the department to explore avenues.”
That began Monday at a public safety committee meeting, where Sheriff Todd Delain addressed Wolfe’s request.
“It’s not exclusive to the draft — that’s something we take serious all the time and have done proactive measures related to that,” Delain said.
The committee did not make any official decisions other than receiving and placing the consideration on file.
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