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State, local officials spotlight Georgia’s efforts to fight human trafficking

ATLANTA (WUPA) — Human Trafficking Month may have come to an end, but the abuse is never over for its victims.

Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport is one of several major hubs for human trafficking in the country, and it's where state and local officials gathered at a press conference on Monday to commemorate National Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

“Human trafficking through ATL will not be tolerated,” said Balram Bheodari, the airport's general manager.

The airport, , Tyler Perry, and others joined Gov. Brian Kemp in a public service announcement shown on during the press conference.

“Know that if you see something, it's ok to say something,” Kemp said in the video.

The event also drew attention to the GRACE Commission, which was formed in 2019 to combat human trafficking. GRACE stands for Georgians for Refuge, Action, Compassion, and Education.

“It is partnerships like this that move the needle towards moving Georgia to a safe haven for survivors and a hostile environment for traffickers and buyers,” said First Lady Marty Kemp, who serves as co-chair of the commission.

Kemp, as a mother of three daughters, described how a January 2019 demonstration inspired her to take action. Street Grace, an organization working to end the sexual exploitation of children, helped organize that event, lining up school buses to paint a visual picture of the horrifying number of children taken each year.

“They had 72 school buses, which represented the 3,600 kids that are taken in just a year in Georgia, and I couldn't believe it. I was like, ‘Why are we not talking about it,'” she said.

The commission then spearheaded conversations that led to training and contributed to tougher legislation through seven new laws that moved the needle.

“We were very successful at having people talk about it, and we made the education piece to have people learn on what to spot and what to look for and how to report it when they did see it,” she said

The training video is available for the public to view on YouTube.

State Attorney General Chris Carr reflected on launching the first-of-its-kind statewide Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, as well as the progress made in holding human trafficking offenders accountable.

“Today, we have 46 defendants who are currently under indictment for sex and ,” said Carr. “We actually have a victims' advocate that's a part of our prosecution team,” he said, explaining many of the victims are girls between 12 and 14 years old.

Advocates say it's an uphill battle worth fighting, and they're urging the public to report any issues or suspicious activity to law enforcement at the state attorney's office.

 

This “Eyes on Trafficking” story is reprinted from its original location.

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ABOUT PBJ LEARNING

PBJ Learning is a leading provider of online human trafficking training, focusing on awareness and prevention education. Their interactive Human Trafficking Essentials is used worldwide to educate professionals and individuals how to recognize human trafficking and how to respond to potential victims. Learn on any web browser (even your mobile phone) at any time.

More stories like this can be found in your PBJ Learning Knowledge Vault.

 

EYES ON TRAFFICKING

This “Eyes on Trafficking” story is reprinted from its original online location.

ABOUT PBJ LEARNING

PBJ Learning is a leading provider of online human trafficking training, focusing on awareness and prevention education. Their interactive Human Trafficking Essentials online course is used worldwide to educate professionals and individuals how to recognize human trafficking and how to respond to potential victims. Learn on any web browser (even your mobile phone) at any time.

More stories like this can be found in your PBJ Learning Knowledge Vault.