Anti-Trafficking Task Force Announced in Westchester
A new partnership between the Westchester County Legislature and the newly-formed Westchester County Anti-Trafficking Task Force has been announced. Board of Legislators Chairman Ken Jenkins (D-Yonkers) and Majority Leader Peter Harkham (D-Katonah) will serve as co-hosts for a training session to educate 175 first responders including law enforcement, government officials, community organizations serving at-risk communities, service providers, including health care providers and faith-based organizations on identifying and referring potential victims of trafficking.
Several cases of human trafficking have been identified recently across Westchester County. The work of the task force is intended to assist in the identification and rescue of more victims of both sex and labor trafficking.
The training will focus on key responders to identify, refer, and serve potential victims of trafficking according to a victim-centered and multi-disciplinary collaborative approach. The Westchester County Anti-Trafficking Task Force will release the Westchester County Anti-Trafficking Resource Directory to serve as a tool for service providers, law enforcement agencies, attorneys and survivors. The resource directory will provide contact information for law enforcement and social service providers that have been trained to respond to human trafficking in Westchester County.
Ron Soodalter, author of “The Slave Next Door,” will speak at a media event at the Mt. Kisco Holiday Inn on Friday, Mar. 25. The half-hour session starts at 8 a.m.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.