At an awareness event in October, Cullman County Human Trafficking Task Force Chair Kathy Wilson, right, displayed Tribune articles on the county’s first two human trafficking arrests. / Tribune file photo
CULLMAN – On Dec. 29, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation naming January 2018 National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The City of Cullman and Cullman County are following suit, and the Cullman County Human Trafficking Task Force (CCHTTF) is planning a special event on Jan. 11 at Karma’s Coffee House.
“We are signing proclamations with the County Jan. 9 at 10 a.m. and the mayor's office Jan. 11 at 9:30 a.m.,” said CCHTTF Chair Kathy Wilson. “We have also partnered with Karma's Coffee House for ‘Coffee for a Cause’ on Jan. 11. We will be there all day educating people on human trafficking. A HUGE ‘Thank You’ to (Karma’s Coffee House owner) Katie (Nelms) for partnering with us to help make our community a better place to live!”
In his statement on the national proclamation, Trump said, in part: “During National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, we recommit ourselves to eradicating the evil of enslavement. Human trafficking is a modern form of the oldest and most barbaric type of exploitation. It has no place in our world. This month we do not simply reflect on this appalling reality. We also pledge to do all in our power to end the horrific practice of human trafficking that plagues innocent victims around the world.
“Human trafficking is a sickening crime at odds with our very humanity. An estimated 25 million people are currently victims of human trafficking for both sex and labor. Human traffickers prey on their victims by promising a life of hope and greater opportunity, while delivering only enslavement. Instead of delivering people to better lives, traffickers unjustifiably profit from the labor and toil of their victims, who they force — through violence and intimidation — to work in brothels and factories, on farms and fishing vessels, in private homes, and in countless industries.
“My Administration continues to work to drive out the darkness human traffickers cast upon our world. In February, I signed an Executive Order to dismantle transnational criminal organizations, including those that perpetuate the crime of human trafficking. My Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons has enhanced collaboration with other nations, businesses, civil society organizations, and survivors of human trafficking. The Department of Health and Human Services has established a new national training and technical assistance center to strengthen our healthcare industry’s anti-trafficking response. The Department of State has contributed $25 million to the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery, because of the critical need for cross-nation collaborative action to counter human trafficking. The Department of Labor has released an innovative, business-focused mobile app that supports private-sector efforts to eradicate forced labor from global supply chains. And this month, I will sign into law S. 1536, the Combating Human Trafficking in Commercial Vehicles Act and S. 1532, the No Human Trafficking on Our Roads Act. These bills will keep those who commit trafficking offenses from operating commercial vehicles, improve anti-human trafficking coordination within Federal agencies and across State and local governments, and improve efforts to recognize, prevent, and report human trafficking.
“In addition to these governmental actions, Americans must learn how to identify and combat the evil of enslavement. This is especially important for those who are most likely to encounter the perpetrators of slavery and their victims, including healthcare providers, educators, law enforcement officials, and social services professionals. Through the Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign, all Americans can learn to recognize the signs of human trafficking and how to report suspected instances. By taking steps to become familiar with the telltale signs of traffickers or the signals of their victims, Americans can save innocent lives.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security defines human trafficking as “a form of modern-day slavery, and involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to exploit human beings for some type of labor or commercial sex purpose. Its victims include those forced into prostitution, as well as unpaid and severely underpaid domestic servitude, factory, and farm labor jobs. They are often lured into bondage with offers of jobs, drugs or immigration assistance.”
Alabama is far from immune to the dangers of human trafficking: the segment of I-20 from Birmingham to Atlanta is the busy thoroughfare for sex trafficking in the United States, and Cullman County saw two human trafficking arrests last year.
In an interview last October, Wilson informed The Tribune that the problem predates the terminology, saying, “Human trafficking has existed here for quite some time; we just didn’t call it that. We’ve had parents that have been arrested for selling their children to the neighbor for drugs, but it wasn’t called that. It was just a sexual abuse case, or something like that.
“So, it’s been here. We’ve got boyfriends that have been trading their girlfriends, not for a monetary amount, but for a case of beer or something like that. That’s what exists here in this county.
“I want folks to know that human trafficking exists here in this county. I want people to open their eyes, see that it’s here, and to educate themselves and to educate someone else.”
On Wednesday, Wilson said of the task force’s current efforts, “Our goal of this task force has been to raise awareness, educate people and to get those people to take action. I feel that because of the efforts of this task force this shows true with the two local arrests made this year. People are more aware and know what to look for. We will continue our efforts until this heinous crime is no more. These are our children, our community, and (it is) our responsibility to protect them!”
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