During National Police Week, we must confront a growing threat

OPINION:

Last week was National Police Week, when Americans honor the men and women who put on the badge and confront danger every day to protect our communities.

Yet some serious threats do not look like traditional crime scenes. They arrive in shipping containers, on online marketplaces, in neighborhood storefronts and even in medicine cabinets. Many forms of illicit trade endanger our security and our prosperity.

Illicit trade includes counterfeit pharmaceuticals, fake and stolen consumer goods, illicit drugs, illegal firearms, wildlife trafficking, data theft and goods produced with forced or child labor. These crimes are deeply interconnected and devastatingly real.

Consider counterfeit pills. Across the country, law enforcement officers respond to overdoses caused not by illegal street drugs but by fake “prescription” pills purchased online or from acquaintances. These counterfeits are often laced with fentanyl or other dangerous substances and made to look indistinguishable from legitimate medications.

Parents have lost children. Children have lost parents. First responders have rendered aid to people in medical crises who believed they were taking something safe, only to find that the products they took put them in danger.

Other types of fake products pose similar risks. Counterfeit automobile brake pads and airbags have been found to fail catastrophically during crashes. Counterfeit cosmetics have been contaminated with toxic substances such as mercury and lead. Counterfeit baby formula has lacked critical nutrients. These are not abstract threats; they are products Americans unknowingly bring into their homes.

Illicit trade also undermines economic security. Small-business owners see their brands stolen, their efforts undermined and their customers duped. American manufacturers lose billions of dollars annually as criminal networks flood the market with cheap fakes.

These crimes fund drug trafficking, human exploitation and violent transnational organizations, all while draining tax revenue from schools, infrastructure projects and public safety.

Through our combined 53 years in public law enforcement, we have seen firsthand how intimately these crimes intertwine, as well as the efforts law enforcement exerts to fight them. Illicit trade investigations routinely uncover broader criminal schemes: human trafficking victims packed into warehouses, illegal weapons moved alongside counterfeit goods, money laundered through shell companies and digital platforms.

These crimes are complex, global and fast-moving. No single agency can fight them alone. That is why private-public partnerships are essential.

When companies share information about counterfeit activity, suspicious shipments or compromised supply chains, law enforcement can move more quickly and effectively. When financial institutions flag unusual transactions, criminal networks lose their economic lifelines. When e-commerce platforms work with investigators to identify repeat offenders, online marketplaces become safer for consumers.

Programs such as United to Safeguard America From Illegal Trade and Crime Stoppers USA help bridge the gap. United to Safeguard America From Illegal Trade brings together public- and private-sector leaders to share best practices, educate consumers and support anti-illegal trade policies while training tens of thousands of police officers.

Crime Stoppers USA has helped make nearly 800,000 arrests and taken more than $4 billion of illicit drugs and cash out of our communities through anonymous tips. These efforts enable law enforcement to intercept illegal shipments, dismantle counterfeiting and rescue trafficking victims by helping people recognize and report suspicious activity.

Each year, National Police Week reminds us that protecting America requires vigilance beyond the uniform. If we are serious about protecting America’s security and prosperity, then we must treat illicit trade with the urgency it deserves. By strengthening private-public partnerships and standing shoulder to shoulder with law enforcement, we can disrupt these criminal enterprises, protect consumers and ensure a safer future for our communities.

Honoring law enforcement means more than remembrance; it also means action. Enacting policies that support those who serve is a critical first step.

• Alysa D. Erichs is the spokeswoman for United to Safeguard America From Illegal Trade and a former acting executive associate director for Homeland Security Investigations. Barb Bergin is the CEO of Crime Stoppers USA.