Sergeant John Wall is a 25 year veteran of the Houston Police Department (HPD) and has extensive experience investigating Human Trafficking cases. In January 2014, he played a key role in the implementation and development of the newly formed HPD Vice Division, Human Trafficking Unit (HTU). The HTU is composed of thirteen undercover investigators that conduct both proactive and reactive human trafficking investigations and organized crime cases with a nexus to prostitution, whether in the sex industry or forced labor, including both domestic and international trafficking. In October 2016, the Houston Police Department and YMCA International received a federal grant award for 1.5 million dollars to continue the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA) of the Southern District of Texas. Sergeant Wall was instrumental in writing the federal human trafficking grant and serves as the HTRA task force supervisor, managing both investigations and administrative grant duties.
Sergeant Wall works closely with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and the Governor’s Office on the issue of human trafficking well as the City of Houston and Harris County legal departments, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, the United States Attorney General’s Office, and various non-governmental organizations.
Sergeant Wall has served as a patrol officer, investigator, a tactical team officer, a recruiter, a patrol supervisor, a Real-Time Crime Analysis Operations Center supervisor, and has over 2,600 hours of law enforcement training. He holds a Master Peace Officers Proficiency Certificate from the State of Texas, a Bachelor’s degree from Midwestern State University, and a Master’s degree from the University of Houston.