In President Obama’s speech at the Clinton Global Initiative this year, he called on all Americans and the world to take a broader, more comprehensive view of combating human trafficking of all kinds. He outlined how the U.S. is strengthening law enforcement through improved training, and providing better services to victims through improved coordination across federal agencies. And he didn’t stop there. He also recognized the U.S. government’s influential position as the world’s largest buyer of services and goods, promising to remove slavery from government supply chains and declaring that “American tax dollars must never, ever be used to support the trafficking of human beings.”

A woman in Mongolia applies for a passport, which has an informational packet inserted into it that explains the risks of human trafficking and contact information on how to get in touch with authorities. Photo/Matthew Pendergast.

President Obama further challenged the global community to “recommit to addressing the underlying forces that push so many into bondage in the first place.”  Examining and challenging the economic, social, and cultural inequalities that create vulnerable conditions among marginalized groups is a critical, but often under appreciated, step toward a long-term trafficking prevention strategy. Adding that individual companies – and even individual consumers – can voluntarily take steps to rid their supply chains of exploitation and slavery, the president left no room for any of us to deny our stake in this fight.

The president’s speech resonated with those of us who work on these issues, not only because it catalyzed further awareness of human trafficking, but more importantly, it emphasized the complexity of the problem and the need for multifaceted solutions. Not very long ago, the discourse surrounding human trafficking (particularly in the U.S.) was dominated by issues associated with the commercial sexual exploitation of women and girls. Those issues were and continue to be critical and relevant to current trends, but trafficking for other purposes – forced labor, domestic work, organ transplants, and many others – was largely absent from the debate and, in many cases, from the on-the-ground work that aimed to stem the trade in human beings.

When The Asia Foundation began working to combat human trafficking in the late 1990s, our efforts hinged on the “3P” approach (prevention, protection, and prosecution), and focused on women victims of trafficking in the sex industry. Over the years, we and many others have transitioned to a more holistic and nuanced strategy that incorporates aspects of all forms of trafficking and increasingly addresses the needs of both male and female survivors. Recognizing that a thriving trafficking trade indicates a breakdown in the legal, economic, and social fabric of a society, we  have adapted to a governance-based approach in our anti-trafficking work, focusing on working politically to increase the ability of law enforcement, justice officials, social service providers, community leaders, and policymakers to combat this crime.

This evolution of thinking and approach was highlighted at a recent workshop we hosted in Nepal called, “Combating Trafficking in Persons: Capturing Lessons Learned, Charting the Way Forward.” The gathering brought together Asia Foundation staff from across the region, as well as international and regional experts, who discussed emerging issues related to law, technology, victim support, and research. Throughout the three-day meeting, participants explored new ways to expand our anti-trafficking work by creatively using the Foundation’s skills, assets, and networks to directly and indirectly contribute to the multi-faceted solution to this problem. For example, how can our community policing programs put victim support skills in the hands of local police officers?  What if we could engage our vast networks of faith communities to identify new ways to reach out to victims and at-risk groups?  Could our efforts to address conflict in fragile states also identify strategic ways to reduce vulnerability to human trafficking among displaced peoples?

Just as President Obama called on all of us to “speak up” and take initiative in new ways to end this crime against humanity, the Foundation and other organizations are expanding efforts to find creative, effective contributions to the global anti-trafficking “tool box.”  Over the coming months, we’ll be discussing some specific strategies that have worked in the past, as well as sharing our latest efforts to develop and test new approaches in the region.

Kate Francis is associate director of The Asia Foundation’s Women’s Empowerment Program in Washington, D.C. She can be reached at kfrancis@asiafound.org. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and not those of The Asia Foundation.

Still recovering from the effects of a 26-year civil war that ended in 2009, Sri Lanka is now seeing hopeful signs that one of its deepest wounds – the relationship between the police and the community – is improving.

During the war, police were often preoccupied with counter-insurgency and national security. As a result, mistrust between communities and the police force grew, particularly in the North and East where police often viewed community members as potential threats to security, as opposed to a constituency they serve.

For years, much of the interaction between the general public and the police has occurred at police stations when citizens reported a crime and at vehicle checkpoints, where most identity checks are performed. But, with the end of the war in 2009, police service is gradually making the shift from a “securitized” form of policing to a community-oriented one. As part of its larger institutional reform initiative, the leadership of the Sri Lanka Police Service (SLPS) is set on making the police a more professional and “people-friendly” service.

Police in Vavuniya break from their bicycle patrolling to speak with a local resident. Photo: Jon Jamieson

As part of this initiative, 43 cities and towns in the North, East, South, and Uva have over the last eight months introduced bicycle patrolling to improve community-police relationships, deter petty crimes, and offer citizens the opportunity to interact with police officers positively in public places. While patrolling has historically been a part of the Sri Lankan policing system, community policing emphasizes the importance of engaging with citizens while on patrol  to become better known throughout the community, stay informed about local activities, and be available to receive complaints or give advice. Recently, the deputy inspector general of Uva Province told me that he has found bicycle patrolling to be a cost-effective and efficient way to increase access and mobility of the police to more remote areas, which often lack roads that can be navigated by patrol cars. With greater interaction with communities, the police are also able to gather information about local crime and conflicts and identify “hot-spots” so that they can increase patrols in those locations. Some community members who we interviewed said that they are now able to not only access the police during routine patrols, but also avoid the daunting task of visiting police stations to report crimes.

In northern Vavuniya town, since November 2011, 12 police officers have been assigned to the more populated parts of town for bicycle patrolling. Local sergeant Gunawardena said that he along with three other police officers bicycle through the densely populated lanes and by-lanes of the market area of Vavuniya town from two in the afternoon to 10 at night.

Since the end of the war, cases of petty theft have been on the increase in Vavuniya, due in part to better reporting and the return to normal policing functions, including investigation of complaints lodged with the police. The Inspector of Police, Ranatunga, who leads the bicycle patrol project in Vavuniya, said he believes that as a result of regular patrolling, fear of crime has reduced among citizens who now feel a greater sense of safety and security. Local citizens and police interviewed in Vavuniya agreed that conducting bicycle patrols helps develop relationships, deter petty crimes, and offer citizens the opportunity to interact with local police officers.

In these small town and cities, bicycle patrolling also helps deter minor and major crimes due to increased police contact with the public and faster response time and capability. It allows police officers to respond to emergency calls quickly and be present at the crime scene in real time. One community member in Matara, where four constables and sergeants have been patrolling the streets over the past six months, recently told me: “I experienced a sharp reduction in pick-pocketing due to the regular presence of police, and we’ve seen a development of better relations between the police and community … the officers travel on bicycles, we also travel on bicycles.”

In small town and cities, bicycle patrolling helps deter minor and major crimes due to increased police contact with the public and faster response time and capability. Photo: Jon Jamieson

The officer-in-charge of Ambalangoda police station recently described a situation where the police were able to arrive quickly to a crime scene and arrest a suspect that was later found to be involved in over 25 illegal activities. He echoes a common sentiment: “The resources for the police are limited, but still we are trying to cover a large area. Because of this, we started the bicycle project, where we can patrol night and day, in the city and suburbs.”

The deputy inspector general of Uva Province recalled a story from earlier this year of three constables who were cycling down the main street in Buttala town late evening as part of their regular patrolling routine. The bus en-route from the capital, Colombo, stopped at the bus station on the way to Moneragala. A single passenger got off the bus, and seemed shocked upon seeing police constables around. Noticing his uneasiness, one of the constables approached him. Before they could strike a conversation the passenger pepper-sprayed the constables and tried to run away. However, alert onlookers caught him in time. When he was taken to the police station, the officers realized that he was part of a small criminal gang and was planning operations in the area, which the local police were able to intercept, thanks to the bicycle patrols.

With Sri Lanka’s tumultuous war-time period over, and the once highly securitized environment relaxing, this initiative allows the police to rebuild their relationships with the community, instilling trust and confidence among citizens that they can provide them with safety and security in their day-to-day lives.

For more information on the bicycle patrolling initiative, watch a video, produced by The Asia Foundation in partnership with the Sri Lanka Police Service with the support of the British High Commission, on the Sri Lanka Police website.

Gita Sabharwal is The Asia Foundation’s deputy country representative in Sri Lanka. She can be reached at gsabharwal@asiafound.org. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and not those of The Asia Foundation.