City of Austin

On Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, Austin Police (APD) Victim Services Supervisor Katie Herbers with the APD Human Trafficking Unit was awarded the 2025 Lotus Award at the annual Silk Road Gala, hosted by Asian Family Support Services of Austin (AFSSA).

It is because of Katie’s innovation and leadership that a partnership between the APD Human Trafficking Unit and AFSSA were formed. Katie helped stand up a pilot program where she passionately led and coordinated two teams to share knowledge, collaborate and share feedback with one another. This led to the creation of a safe, survivor-led, trauma-informed response to adult survivors of sex trafficking and ultimately made our community safer.
 
Katie’s leadership exemplifies the values of AFSSA: Prevent, Advocate, Respond, and Transform. AFSSA creates a world without violence for all survivors of abuse, including Asian survivors, and their communities at risk of abuse. For 33 years, AFSSA has worked alongside their partners to Educate, Advocate, and Empower their communities – in their home languages and centering their heritage—to break the cycle of violence.
 
The APD Human Trafficking Unit enforces organized gambling, organized prostitution, and smuggling state laws and city ordinances. The unit also investigates cases related to the trafficking of persons for sexual or labor exploitation. The unit is a member of the Central Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking and the Central Texas Federal Law Enforcement Task Force to combat human trafficking.
 
Click to learn more about the Austin Police Human Trafficking Unit and AFSSSA.