Human Trafficking signs will be placed throughout the state in an effort to raise awareness about the prevalence of human trafficking in North Carolina. The awareness signs will be displayed at transportation centers, rest areas, welcome centers, job centers, ABC-licensed locations, and emergency rooms across the state.
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein and North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission (NCHTC) Chair Libby Magee Coles announced the distribution of the signs last week.
“Human trafficking is a heinous but poorly understood crime,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “These signs will let victims know there is help on the other end of a phone call and help educate the public, so we can look for the telltale signs of trafficking and take steps to end human trafficking in North Carolina.”
North Carolina has one of the top 10 highest reported rates of human trafficking in the country. However, cases of human trafficking are under-reported because people don’t recognize the crime in their communities and victims don’t believe there is help. The signs will help people in North Carolina better identify possible incidents of human trafficking and report tips. Victims of human trafficking will also be able to contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline via phone or online to find information and resources to get out of a trafficking situation.
In 2017, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received more than 900 calls from North Carolina. There were 258 human trafficking cases brought by law enforcement and more than 1,200 victims and survivors identified in our state last year.
The signs were designed and will be distributed by the North Carolina Department of Justice and the NCHTC as part of a law passed by the North Carolina General Assembly.
Feature photo: North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein unveils new anti-human-trafficking signs during a press conference in Raleigh on March 21, 2018. Photo courtesy of the NC Department of Justice.
