JANUARY IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH AND MORE THAN 600 IOWA BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRY GROUPS ARE NOW PART OF AN INITIATIVE AIMED AT IDENTIFYING AND RESPONDING TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN THE STATE.
IOWA BUSINESSES AGAINST TRAFFICKING WAS LAUNCHED A YEAR AGO, AND SECRETARY OF STATE PAUL PATE SAYS BUSINESSES THAT JOIN THE PROGRAM ARE ASKED TO HELP RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS AND TRAIN WORKERS TO SPOT PEOPLE WHO MAY BE TRAFFICKING VICTIMS:
HUMAN10 OC………”THIS SITUATION” :15
PATE SAYS THE NUMBER OF REPORTED TRAFFICKING INCIDENTS HAS RISEN IN IOWA WITH THE MOST RECENT DATA FROM THE NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOTLINE SHOWING THERE WERE NEARLY 300 CONTACTS FROM IOWA IN 2021.
THOSE TIPS LED TO DOZENS OF CASES REACHING LAW ENFORCEMENT.
PATE SAYS ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT POSSIBLE HUMAN TRAFFICKING SHOULD CALL LOCAL POLICE OR THE IOWA VICTIM SERVICE CALL CENTER AT 1-800-770-1650.
