Almost 200 law enforcement officers and victim service providers from across Kansas are in Manhattan Tuesday and Wednesday to team up in the fight against human trafficking, Acting U.S. Attoney Tom Beall said Tuesday.

“Human trafficking is the modern form of slavery,” Beall said. “It’s here now. It’s happening in communities across Kansas. It’s everybody’s problem.”

Beall is joining with Riley County Attorney Barry Wilkerson, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt and the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center to sponsor the conference at the Manhattan Conference Center.

Craig Hill of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children will lead off with a presentation on domestic child sex trafficking. Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc bennett will talk about how law enforcement officers and prosecutors work with reluctant victims and witnesses. Tina Peck of Via Christi Health will discuss how Via Christi hospitals in Wichita work to identify trafficking victims who seek emergency treatment and offer them help. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart will describe how federal prosecutors are working with the Wichita Police Department to target businesses that are fronts for human trafficking.

A number of other speakers are on the agenda for the conference.