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Miami-Dade County wants to Stop Human Trafficking!

Human Trafficking

[MIAMI]Miami-Dade County Commissioner Joe A. Martinez sponsored legislation on May 19, 2020 directing the County Mayor to use available funds to educate the public on the dangers and signs of human trafficking.

As a result of this legislation, the Miami-Dade County Communications and Customer Experience Department and the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) collaborated to develop a two-phase implementation.

Phase One

Phase one began in August 2020 and will continue throughout the life of the educational campaign. It consists of training MDPD law enforcement officers on a social media campaign and targeted public service announcements.

Phase Two

Phase two began on January 1, 2021 which was National Human Trafficking Awareness Month. It consisted of a hard launch of the educational and awareness campaign and included a media press conference. At the conference it announced the official launch of the campaign on January 26, 2021. Additional advertisement will be created to expand on the education and awareness component of the campaign commencing in March 2021.

Here is a link to the legislation: 200838

Human Trafficking Campaign

Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery, which involves the exploitation of persons for commercial sex or forced labor. Additionally, many victims of human trafficking are forced to work in prostitution or the sexual entertainment industry. Trafficking also occurs in the form of labor exploitation, such as domestic servitude and restaurant, janitorial, sweatshop factory, and agricultural work.

Commissioner Martinez hopes this campaign will bring awareness to the public at large. This, in order for them to learn how to spot any suspected victim and report it immediately.

“Florida has the third highest number of reported human trafficking cases in the United States. Miami-Dade County has the second highest number of reported human trafficking cases,” said Commissioner Martinez. “This campaign aims to have a significant impact on human trafficking by increasing the community’s awareness about the signs of human trafficking and how to report it. We have to protect those who cannot protect themselves. The majority of victims are kids.”

 

 

South Florida Caribbean News

The SFLCN.com Team provides news and information for the Caribbean-American community in South Florida and beyond.

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