TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody proclaimed January as Human Trafficking Prevention Month in the state with the adoption of a Cabinet Resolution, signed by the Governor and all Florida Cabinet members. The U.S. Department of State estimates that there are approximately 27.6 million victims of human trafficking worldwide at any given time. This declaration underscores Florida’s commitment to eradicating human trafficking and training as many Floridians as possible to identify and report suspicious activity.
Attorney General Moody emphasized that Florida maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward human trafficking and the Statewide Prosecutors are actively working to prevent trafficking, boasting a nearly perfect conviction rate. The state is also dedicated to raising awareness of potential signs of trafficking and has trained thousands of individuals across various sectors to identify and report this crime. Governor Ron DeSantis echoed this sentiment, highlighting the increased penalties for human traffickers and efforts to protect vulnerable children. Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson commended the unified efforts to combat human trafficking in the state and urged all Floridians to learn the potential signs and indicators of human trafficking and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.
Florida continues to lead the way in combating human trafficking by allocating funding for therapeutic services to support survivors and maintaining task forces in all 20 Florida judicial circuits to facilitate coordination on human trafficking cases. Attorney General Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution plays a critical role in this effort, prosecuting multi-judicial circuit cases of human trafficking in Florida with a nearly perfect conviction record.
To foster these efforts, Attorney General Moody serves as Chair of the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking, which includes leaders from law enforcement, prosecutors, legislators, and various experts. The council aims to enhance the development and coordination of law enforcement and social services responses to fight all forms of human trafficking and to support victims.
Educating the public on the signs of human trafficking and how to report suspicious activity is a focus, with resources available at YouCanStopHT.com. Floridians are encouraged to report suspected human trafficking to law enforcement by calling 1(855) FLA-SAFE.