The Special Victims Bureau, created by District Attorney Vance in September 2010, is committed to prosecuting crimes against some of Manhattan’s most sensitive and vulnerable victims, whose lives are significantly changed by the nature of the crimes committed against them.  The Bureau oversees four units that specialize in handling cases involving special victims: the Sex Crimes Unit, Child Abuse Unit, Domestic Violence Unit, and Elder Abuse Unit.  By joining these units, we seek to better serve the victims of these crimes by coordinating Office, law enforcement and social services resources.  The Bureau provides the Assistant District Attorneys who work in these units with the most advanced training for investigating and prosecuting these cases with standardized best practices to ensure that our victims are protected and able to restore safety in their lives.  In addition, the Bureau is proactive in participating in legislative reform to ensure effective and successful prosecutions.  Our mission is to bring order and stability to victims’ lives while ensuring that their voices are heard in the criminal justice process.

Sex Crimes Unit

The Sex Crimes Unit thoroughly investigates and prosecutes cases involving sexual assaults and other related crimes.  The Unit’s experienced, specially-trained prosecutors strive to bring the strongest prosecutions for victims of these heinous crimes, while ensuring that those who are falsely accused are not prosecuted and are cleared as early in the process as possible.  The Unit endeavors to treat everyone with the respect and consideration appropriate for dealing with these serious and sensitive cases.

How to get help: 212-335-9373

Child Abuse Unit

The Child Abuse Unit’s mission is to stop child abuse and child abusers, to protect children, and to keep children and families safe, healthy, and strong.  The Unit specializes in investigating and prosecuting cases involving the abuse of children and uses a child-friendly setting to help children feel comfortable and safe.  We partner with local and national experts to seek just outcomes and to provide support, medical care, and mental health services to victims and their families.

Domestic Violence Unit

The Domestic Violence Unit specializes in investigating and prosecuting crimes committed against intimate partners.  Its mission is to reduce crimes against intimate partners through vigorous prosecution by highly-trained prosecutors devoted to protecting victims and holding the perpetrators accountable.  The Unit applies a multi-disciplinary approach to assisting our victims by working with victim advocates, social workers and counselors.  We believe in working with the community in order to help break the cycle of violence through outreach, education, and training.  The safety of our victims is our number one priority.

Hotline: 212-335-4308

Elder Abuse Unit

The Elder Abuse Unit investigates and prosecutes crimes involving victims, 60 years of age and older, including those who are impaired.  The Unit handles crimes committed against older victims of crimes, including physical abuse, domestic violence, financial exploitation and neglect.  We work closely with the New York Police Department and other agencies throughout New York City to improve the older crime victims’ quality of life while providing guidance and assistance as they navigate their way through the criminal justice system.

How to get help: 212-335-8920

Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking is a form of modern day slavery in which people are forced to work through force, fraud, or coercion. Human Trafficking may consist of either Labor Trafficking, in which people are forced, tricked or coerced to work in a variety of jobs, or Sex Trafficking, in which victims are forced, tricked or coerced to work as prostitutes.  Any child involved in the commercial sex industry is a trafficking victim.

Where does Human Trafficking Occur?

• Human trafficking occurs in our own city, and can occur in any neighborhood. Victims may live and work among us as domestic servants, restaurant workers and workers in the commercial sex industry (such as massage parlors, strip bars, or escort services). 

Can a U.S. Citizen be the victim of Human Trafficking?

• Yes. Anyone can be a victim of human trafficking, regardless of citizenship.  Both foreign nationals and U.S. citizens can be victims.
• There is no requirement that a trafficking victim crossed any city, state, national, or international border. 
• Trafficking can even be by a victim’s own family members.

Common ways Traffickers maintain control

• Debt – requiring the victim to pay off a debt.
• Documents – taking the victim’s legal papers and documents.
• Deportation – threatening to report the victim to immigration authorities.
• Family – threatening to harm the victim’s friends and family.
• Drugs – providing the victim drugs to make him/her more compliant.
• Abuse – abusing the victim physically and/or sexually.

Examples of Sex Trafficking

• International:  Leeis a 17 year-old girl who lived in a small town in China.  Smugglers in China promised Lee that they would bring her to New York and find her a job in a nail salon in exchange for $50,000, which she could pay back from her wages.  Once in New York, the traffickers took Lee’s passport and other identification and told her she had to work in a brothel in order to repay her debt.  She was told that if she refused, she would be reported to immigration authorities and that traffickers in China would harm her family.
• Traffickers often use a combination of methods to maintain control over their victims.  Here, the traffickers used deception, debt bondage, document seizure, and threats to force her into prostitution.  The traffickers also attempted to prevent her from speaking to the authorities by threatening deportation.
• Domestic:  Laura is a 15 year-old girl who lives in Manhattan.  Her mother’s boyfriend sexually abused her.  When Laura told her mother what had happened, her mother threw her out.  Not having anywhere else to go, Laura went to the Port Authority where she was approached by a man in his 30s.  He told Laura she was beautiful and that he would take care of her as her boyfriend.  After they were living together, he told Laura that they needed money and that prostitution was the only way to earn it.  Before she was prostituted for the first time, the man gave Laura cocaine to “take the edge off.”  From then on Laura was required to give all of the money she made to this man.  If she refused to be prostituted on a particular night, the man would hit her and threaten to tell her family that she was a prostitute.
• Domestic sex traffickers often prey on “at-risk” children.  These are children whom have unstable family lives and have often been the victims of sexual and physical abuse.  Domestic sex traffickers recruit by making false promises, providing drugs, or utilizing other enticements.  Once involved with the trafficker, the victim is prevented from leaving through psychological and physical coercion.

What happens if a victim comes forward?

Victims often do not tell anyone about their situation because they are afraid that the trafficker will follow through with his or her threats, or they fear being arrested and deported. In reality, trafficking victims may be eligible for both financial and immigration assistance from the State and Federal governments.

A victim of human trafficking may be entitled to assistance such as:

• Immigration relief
• Housing
• Mental health treatment
• Legal services
• Health care

What can I do?

I am a victim.

If you are victim of Human Trafficking it is important for you to know that there are alternatives and people to help you.  If you are in danger or need an immediate response, please call 911.  If you are not in immediate danger you can also call the New York County District Attorney’s Office’s Human Trafficking Referral Tipline at 212-335-3400. 

I think someone is a victim.

Victims of human trafficking are often in plain sight.  They may be providing you services or interacting with the public in some way.  If you believe that someone may be the victim of human trafficking it is important that you try to get her help.  If you believe the victim is in immediate danger please call 911.  If you have a suspicion of human trafficking please call the Human Trafficking Referral Tipline at 212-335-3400.

Resources

Please note this resource list is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be a recommendation of any of the specific services provided by the programs. This brochure does not list every human trafficking resource available in New York City.

City Bar Justice Center • Immigrant Women & Children Project

42 W. 44th Street, New York, NY 10036

Telephone: 212-382-4711 • Fax: 212-354-7438

Website: www.citybarjusticecenter.org

Special Populations: Immigrants, Minors, Sex Trafficking, Labor Trafficking

Services Provided: Community Education/Training, Immigration, Legal Services, Referrals, Trafficking Victim Services

Covenant House

Telephone: 800-999-9999 • TTY: 800-999-9915 • Fax: 212-989-9098

Website: www.covenanthouse.org

Services Provided: Crisis Counseling, Emergency Housing (boys and girls ages 18-20, Also ages 16-18 (if ACS is contacted)

Girls Educational & Mentoring Services (GEMS)

201 w. 148th street, Ground Floor, NY NY 10039

Telephone: 212-926-8089 • Fax: 212-491-2696

Website: www.gems-girls.org

Services Provided: Community Education/Training, Court/Police Accompaniment, Crisis Counseling, Domestic Violence (General), Emergency Assistance/Transportation, Job Training, Long Term Counseling, Referrals, Trafficking Victim Services

New York Asian Women's Center • Project Free

39 Bowery PMB 375, New York, NY 10002

Telephone: 212-732-0054 x133 • Fax: 212-587-5731 • Hotline: 1-888-888-7702

Website: www.nyawc.org

Languages: Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin), Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Laos, Japanese, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali

Services Provided: Community Education/Training, Court/Police Accompaniment, Crisis Counseling, Domestic Violence (General), Immigration, Emergency Assistance/Transportation, Health Services, Long Term Counseling, Public Assistance, Referrals, Shelter/Housing Assistance, Emergency Housing (Adult and Children), Stalking, Trafficking Victim Services

Safe Horizon • Anit-Trafficking Program

50 Court Street, 8th Floor, Brooklyn, NY, 11201

Telephone: 718- 943-8631 • Fax: 718- 943-8653 • Hotline: 800-621-4673 (HOPE)

Website: www.safehorizon.org

Special Populations: Female Victims, Male Victims, Immigrants, Sex Trafficking, Labor Trafficking

Services Provided:Community Education, Court/Police Accompaniment, Crisis Counseling, Domestic Violence, Immigration, English as a Second Language Classes, Emergency Assistance/Transportation, Health Services, HIV/AIDS (Referral), Job Training (Referral), Legal Services, Long Term Counseling, Public Assistance (Referral), Referrals, Sexual Assault, Shelter/Housing Assistance (Referral), Emergency Housing (Adult and Children), Stalking, Trafficking Victims Services

Sanctuary for Families • Immigration Intervention Project

110 Wall Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10038

Telephone: 212-349-6009 • Fax: 212-566-0344

Website: www.sanctuaryforfamilies.org

Languages: Over 35 languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and French.

Special Populations: Domestic Violence, Trafficking Transgender and Immigrant Victims

Services Provided:Community Education, Crisis Counseling, Domestic Violence (General), Immigration, English as a Second Language, Emergency Assistance/Transportation, Job Training, Legal Services, Long Term Counseling,

Public Assistance, Referrals, Sexual Assault, Shelter/Housing Assistance, Emergency Housing (Families), Trafficking Victim Services, Emergency Food and Clothing, Advocacy

Sex Workers Project / Urban Justice Center

123 William Street, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10038

Telephone: 646-602-5617 • Fax: 210-533-4598

Website: www.sexworkersproject.org

Special Populations: Female Victims, Male Victims, Transgender Victims, Immigrants, Sex Trafficking, Labor Trafficking

Services Provided: Community Education/Training, Court/Police Accompaniment, Domestic Violence (General), Immigration, Legal Services, Long Term Counseling, Referrals, Trafficking Victim Services

New York City Mayor’s Office – Let’s End Human Trafficking

Website:  http://home2.nyc.gov/html/endht/html/home/home.shtml

Services Provided:  Information and other resources about human trafficking 

How to get help: 212-335-3400

The Cybercrime and Identity Theft Bureau (“CITB”) is committed to protecting the public by combating sophisticated cybercrime and identity theft schemes in Manhattan and worldwide. Recognizing that the Internet is the crime scene of the 21^st century, the Bureau employs cutting-edge technology to thwart cybercriminals by prosecuting check and credit card fraud, cyber impersonation, child exploitation and pornography, cyber-stalking, cyber-bullying, computer hacking, as well as white collar crimes involving money laundering and threats to financial institutions. Formed in March 2010 by District Attorney Vance, the Bureau works on prosecutions in both the Trial and Investigation Divisions.In addition to highly trained attorneys, the Bureau includes a dedicated team of investigators and forensic analysts, led by nationally-recognized computer crimes and computer forensic experts.

The Crime Strategies Unit works closely with the New York Police Department, other law enforcement agencies and members of the community to identify groups and individuals most responsible for committing crimes that impact our communities, from violent crimes to lower-level, quality-of-life offenses. The Unit’s Assistant District Attorneys forge partnerships with local community residents and police precincts to gain knowledge about the crimes that plague their communities and to identify ways to address crime trends in Manhattan neighborhoods.  The Unit works with its partners in the community, including law enforcement and other agencies, to develop and implement intelligence-driven prosecution strategies targeting priority offenders and neighborhoods. 

The Forensic Sciences/Cold Case Unit, created in April 2010, specializes in the use of state-of-the-art forensic science to enhance investigations and prosecutions in a manner that comports with the highest standards in the field.  The Unit serves in an advisory capacity to the Trial Division on all cases that involve forensic science, regardless of the nature and severity of the charges, and is designed to ensure that all have access to the tools needed to prosecute the variety of cases that involve forensic scientific evidence.  Furthermore, the Unit provides training to ADAs on forensic science and the handling of cold cases to ensure that our Office continues to use the most sophisticated forensic evidence in prosecutions.  The Unit also reviews motions for post-conviction DNA testing and conducts systematic reviews of every unsolved homicide in Manhattan committed in the last 30 years to determine whether the homicides can be solved using state-of-the-art forensic testing techniques.

The Vehicular Crimes Unit oversees and provides support to Assistants District Attorneys office-wide in cases including Vehicular Homicide, Assault, DWI and other vehicle-related crimes.  These cases are often very technical and involve obtaining blood search warrants, conducting analyses to reconstruct crash scenes, determining speed from skid and yaw marks, and analyzing pedestrian throw and impact findings.  The Unit works closely with the New York Police Department's Accident Investigation Squad and Highway Unit, frequently interacting with detectives from the time a crash occurs.  Assistants routinely go to crash scenes to enhance the investigation of these cases.  Assistants receive on-going training on issues involving vehicular cases, with more than 40 ADAs today trained in vehicular prosecution.

The Violent Criminal Enterprises Unit is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of violent organized crime in Manhattan and beyond, including drug-related homicides, armed street gangs, interstate gun runners and narcotics dealers.  The Unit’s current principal focus is combating violent street crime committed by gangs, particularly gang shootings, and the possession and sale of illegal firearms.  The Unit works with the elite units of the NYPD, as well as with federal agents from Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and New York City’s joint firearms and narcotics task forces to reduce violent street crime by disarming violent offenders.  The Unit was created by District Attorney Vance in June of 2010.

New York State’s welfare programs, particularly its Medicaid program, are rife with the potential for abuse and fraud.  The Public Assistance Fraud Unit (PAFU), in partnership with New York City’s Human Resources Administration, prosecutes fraud and abuse committed by recipients of public assistance.  By investigating and prosecuting these cases to the fullest extent of the law, PAFU recovers money for the city and state, and also helps discourage future crimes against welfare programs.  The Unit also helps fight a growing problem: the illegal sale of prescription drugs, particularly medication intended for the treatment of pain management or AIDS.  Often, these medications are obtained by Medicaid recipients through forged prescriptions, aided by unethical doctors who are often paid for writing these prescriptions.  The prosecution of Medicaid clients who abuse their Medicaid privileges and the doctors who participate in this type of fraud are a main focus of PAFU’s prosecutions.

The Unit works closely with law enforcement agencies, including the Human Resources Administration's Bureau of Fraud Investigations, New York State Office of the Medicaid Inspector General, New York City Police Department, New York State Department of Health, and the United States Department of Health. Created in 1995, the Unit has uncovered more than $7 million in fraud involving public assistance programs.

Given its diversity of practice, the Special Litigation Bureau often serves as a consultant throughout the District Attorney's Office and law enforcement community.  In addition to the investigation and prosecution of homicides and other felony offenses, the bureau represents the Office in civil matters, including psychiatric litigation involving defendants found to be not responsible for their crimes as a result of a mental disease or defect.  The Bureau is in charge of the Office’s Narcotics Eviction Program, which utilizes civil statutes to evict individuals who use their residential or commercial premises in connection with an illegal business.  It represents the Office and its personnel in litigation brought against the Office and coordinates with various executive and law enforcement authorities for the extradition of fugitives apprehended in Manhattan.  The Bureau also receives all requests for information made pursuant to the Freedom of Information Law.