Human Trafficking Community Forum

On Sunday, January 29, 2017 a community forum on Human Trafficking was held in Tyler Hall at the First Presbyterian Church. Representatives from the Sheriff's Office, the Gainesville Police Department, and Abigail's Arms spoke to a crowd of around 60 people about this growing problem in Texas and North Texas. They provided statistics and signs to watch for and what to do if you feel that someone is a victim of trafficking. Some of the statistics that they and Grace Presbytery provided show that "human trafficking is the second largest and fastest growing criminal industry in the world, generating roughly $32 billion per year; human trafficking occurs when people are recruited through force, fraud, or coercion to work or provide services; there are two types of trafficking-sex trafficking and labor trafficking." They answered questions and offered suggestions for how the community can help to combat this issue. One of the main suggestions was to volunteer! So many groups are doing wonderful work but they need labor. Your time could make a vital difference for an individual caught up in human trafficking.