ECC to Host Community Forum on Human Trafficking

Elgin Community College will host its next Criminal Justice Conversation, The Reality of Human Trafficking, on Wednesday, March 4, from 6 to 8 pm. The free event is open to ECC students and the community. 

The Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office Human Exploitation Unit will visit ECC to raise awareness about human trafficking and its impact on the Elgin community. The event will take place in Building B, Room 181 (The Alumni Room) at 1700 Spartan Drive in Elgin. Attendees are encouraged to register for the hybrid event here. 

Presenters include:

• Christine Bayer, First Assistant State’s Attorney and Director of the Human Exploitation Unit 
• Greg Spayth, Investigator, Human Exploitation Unit
• Brian Polkinghorn, Investigator, Human Exploitation Unit 

The group will define human trafficking and labor trafficking, share regional case examples, and provide information on prevention strategies and victim resources. 

“Human trafficking is not just a distant crime—it is a complex, evolving injustice that challenges criminal justice programs to prepare students with the knowledge, ethics, and courage to confront exploitation in its most hidden forms,” said Todd Ramljak, criminal justice instructional coordinator and associate professor of criminal justice at ECC. “Having a conversation about human trafficking is important to the ECC community because, in many cases, human trafficking goes unnoticed because people don’t recognize the signs. Community discussions help individuals identify red flags, such as signs of coercion, abuse, or exploitation, which can lead to earlier intervention.”

Parking is available in Lot A for all attendees. The event will be available to watch on Zoom.