October 15, 2026

Special Huntsville Police Unit Makes 100 Trafficking, Child Exploitation Arrests in a Year

By J. Thomas Wade
Blue RAM Media/Gulf Coast News

October 15, 2026

Huntsville, Ala. A special unit of the Huntsville Police Department called the STRIKE Unit has made nearly 100 arrests in human trafficking and internet crimes against children cases in the first year of its existence.

This unit spends its time monitoring social media, tracking pedophiles and deviant persons preying on children.

Since the unit began, it has also handled approximately 180 internet crimes against children cases among its six investigators.
This proactive unit doesn’t wait for crime to happen, they actively look for the signs of trouble and crimes in progress.

Their specially trained Electronic Storage Detection K-9 Goose has located 50 electronic devices to assist investigators in their work, the department said this week in an evaluation of the progress of the unit.

This unit has made an unbelievable difference in our community in such a short time, the police chief said.

“Before we started looking into these cases, I don’t think we fully understood the scope of the problem,” Huntsville Police Officer Chad Schrader said. “These crimes are happening in our communities, and we have to be willing to look for them and do something about them.”

Launched just over a year ago, STRIKE is a specialized HPD task force with six investigators focused on human trafficking, Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC), and online exploitation.

One high-profile investigation began Aug. 9, 2026, after tips about a possible labor trafficking victim. Over 17 days, investigators gathered evidence that the victim had been brought to Huntsville and forced to work to repay a debt.
On Aug. 27, six search warrants were executed and three people arrested. The case remains active, with more charges possible.

As STRIKE enters its second year, HPD plans to expand capabilities, strengthen interagency partnerships, and move toward a full‑time position. Officers say the fight is statewide, national, and global, requiring awareness, cooperation, and prompt action

STRIKE also partners with federal agencies, Covenant Rescue Group, and other law enforcement to expand its reach.

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