For Immediate Release: Tuesday, January 21, 2020
ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 17, 2020—At the Montgomery County Council meeting next Tuesday, Jan. 21, Council Vice President Tom Hucker and Councilmember Craig Rice will present a proclamation recognizing January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month and highlighting the County’s efforts to combat human trafficking.
In October 2017 the Council unanimously passed Bill 27-17, which established the County’s Human Trafficking Prevention Committee. This committee is charged with disseminating information and raising awareness of human trafficking among County residents, as well as developing interagency coordination on the issue. More information is available here: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/cfw/ourwork.html#Human_trafficking .
Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery that is a serious problem in Montgomery County and throughout the United States, wherein traffickers force or coerce women, men and children to engage in commercial sex acts or provide labor or services against their will. According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, 1,077 cases of human trafficking were reported in Maryland from 2007 to 2018, with 165 such cases reported in 2018 alone. In 2019, Montgomery County Police reported 29 cases of human trafficking; 92 charged individuals, including 88 for prostitution offenses (mostly sex buyers), three for human trafficking and one for assaulting a County employee inspecting an illegal spa; and $443,688.68 in total seized.
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Release ID: 20-018