U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit releases PSA to raise awareness for Human Trafficking Prevention month

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - On Thursday, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, released a public service announcement, available here, in recognition of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. 

The PSA aims to raise awareness about the somber reality of human trafficking and highlight the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment to putting an end to this serious crime that violates the most basic of human rights.

"Human trafficking is the exploitation of human begins for profit and has no place in any society," Hurwit said. "Yet every day these horrific crimes are happening in the United States and worldwide."

Human trafficking can involve forced labor, domestic servitude, or sex trafficking of children and adults.

It is a $150 billion a year industry worldwide and in the United States even surpasses the drug industry, according to the Community Police Relations Foundation.

"When we think about human trafficking," Al Eskanazy of the Community Police Relations Foundations said. "I think we may think a lot about what they call coyotes. And then at the border who bring girls across or families across. Well, we all know there's a lot there's a tremendous amount of trafficking going on with that. But what I'd like people with them to stand and think about is this trafficking everywhere in the 50 states of the United States."

He says more often than not, trafficking in the United States is done by groomers. The process is clean and done quietly. Often the parents of a child don't know what's going on.

Eskanazy says combating human trafficking can't be a law enforcement only effort.

"Law enforcement departments would love to work with communities on outreach," Eskanazy said. "...On understanding how you identify traffickers. Or how you identify a girl or little boy that's involved in one way or another. There are a lot of tools at our disposal, but it all begins with the community taking responsibility and then reporting it to law enforcement."

For more information on resources to combat human trafficking from the Community Police Relations Foundation, click HERE.

If you've seen suspicious activity in your area, you can call the national human trafficking hotline at 888-373-7888.