Human trafficking is an emerging crime in Maryland and in many ways, Howard County is uniquely situated to be a “hot spot” for human trafficking of all kinds. Traffickers utilize many of our highways, including nearby I-95, to connect victims to major East Coast cities. As such, prosecutors in our Special Victims Unit, handle approximately a dozen human trafficking cases each year. Our office is committed to a victim-centered approach in the fight against human trafficking. Through increasing public awareness, coordinating state policies/protocols and implementing best practices for investigations, prosecution, victim identification, and victim service response, our message is clear: In Howard County, victims will be recovered and rehabilitated and traffickers will be held accountable for their crimes. In addition, our office regularly hosts the Maryland Office of the Attorney General Human Trafficking Task Force quarterly meetings.
Useful Information:
http://www.mdhumantrafficking.org/
http://goccp.maryland.gov/victims/rights-resources/human-trafficking/
https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-human-trafficking
https://humantraffickinghotline.org/states
https://humantraffickinghotline.org/get-involved/downloadable-resources
(Header image: Maryland Attorney General’s Crimes of Exploitation Task Force Quarterly Meeting-September 2019)