Texas has been ranked number two for human trafficking crimes in the country, with Dallas and Houston being the top two cities. More than 300,000 people are victims of human trafficking in Texas, including close to 79,000 minors and youth victims. Traffickers have exploited $600 million every year from labor and sex trafficking victims in Texas, and over $6 billion is spent providing lifetime care for victims and survivors. Sex trafficking in Dallas and the DFW area has been an ongoing issue since the Super Bowl in 2011 (big sporting events and gatherings are large hubs for sex traffickers); and WHEREAS, in an effort to create awareness and become proactive in eliminating human sex trafficking in Dallas County, different organizations and programs have created systems in which victims of this epideimic can be helped as well as offenders can be educated and effectively prosecuted; and WHEREAS, to include some of the local organizations that currently focus on combating this devastating epidemic are as follows: New Life Opportunities, Healthy Options for Personal Empowerment (H.O.P.E) Class, Solicitors, Traffickers, & Offenders of Prostitution (STOP) School, Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, Dallas County Sherriff’s Department, Dallas County Public Defenders Office, Dallas County STAR Court, Dallas County Health & Human Services, Dallas Police Department, City of Dallas Community Court Prostitution Diversion Initiative (PDI), Mosaic Family Services, New Friends New Life, Haven of Love, It’s Going To Be OK, Inc., Parkland Health & Hospital System and 24HourDallas.
Commissioner Garcia Sponsors Human Trafficking Awareness Month
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Dallas County Commissioners Court does hereby declare the month of January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month and does recognize the efforts and collaboration of these organizations present today to combat human trafficking. DONE IN OPEN COURT this the 7th day of January 2020.