Hello Everyone,
Evelyn here,
with an update on the Attorney General office progress and concerns about the rising crime rate in human trafficing, which has become the highest incident of crime in the nation and a fast and real threat among Florida residents. Below the the latest news on this insidious crime.
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The Attorney General Bill McCollum's News Briefs
A Newsletter
May 18, 2007
Volume 5, Issue 20:
Message from Attorney General Bill McCollum
Human trafficking, a form of modern day slavery, is considered one of
the worst offenses against human dignity. This week, a dedicated group
of men and women met to discuss how we can best combat this terrible
crime and protect its many victims. The Florida Coalition Against Human
Trafficking is an extraordinary organization with people who are
committed to making a difference.
This modern-day form of slavery turns human lives into business
transactions and deprives them of the most basic human right - the
right to freedom. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, human trafficking is the second largest and fastest growing
criminal industry in the world. With Florida's unique geography,
rapidly growing population, and huge influx of visitors every year,
our state is at an elevated risk for being affected by this
insidious crime.
Victims of human trafficking are predominately forced to work in
prostitution or the sex entertainment industry, however other forms
of labor exploitation are also prevalent, including domestic
servitude and sweatshop factory work. Trafficked victims are difficult
to identify for many reasons, primarily because their captors instill
fear in them through various methods to keep them enslaved. Whether
by force or by coercion, many victims believe they have no means to
escape their situation and remain in bondage for the rest of their
lives.
To successfully combat the growing problem of human trafficking we
know that it requires many partnerships - partnerships with other
nations, federal, state and local law enforcement, faith-based and
other non-profit organizations. Here at the state level, as Attorney
General, I want to bring attention to the plight of those who are
victimized by this crime and ensure that traffickers are put behind
bars where they belong.
I believe an important tool in combating trafficking was the passage
of a law in 2004 that makes it a felony in Florida to engage in
sexual trafficking of minors and categorizes human trafficking as a
form of racketeering. This racketeering law allows our Office of
Statewide Prosecution to actively pursue cases involving human
traffickers. I know that our Statewide Prosecutor feels very strongly
about the responsibility to protect those within Florida’s borders
and I am confident our prosecutors will rise to this challenge.
Properly identifying victims has long been a problem, but I am
pleased to announce that last week the Criminal Justice Standards
and Training Commission added, as part of the basic skills course
for all Florida law enforcement officers, training on human
trafficking crime prevention and investigation. This added training
will heighten awareness and allow law enforcement to bring more
traffickers to justice.
As Attorney General, I will do everything within my power to protect
human trafficking victims and punish the perpetrators who commit
these deplorable crimes. Our citizens and our guests deserve nothing
less than our strongest efforts.
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For the first article on this rising threat to human freedoms, see the archives of this blog.
Evelyn out.
