Dozens of law enforcement officials and social services professionals received an eye opening and thought provoking lesson on human trafficking during our Inaugural Conference on Human Trafficking.

One of the key objectives of the conference was to provide awareness of human trafficking in the Central Valley and begin the process of engaging and strengthening collaboration efforts between agencies to end trafficking in our community. Participants learned about the dynamics of human trafficking and its victims, how our community can build a support network for these victims, and heard a personal, first-hand account from Carissa Phelps, a former human trafficking victim turned attorney and advocate.

“Human trafficking is happening in our own backyard,” exclaims Ronna Bright, Human Trafficking Project Coordinator. “We aren’t only dealing with sexual exploitation of human beings but debt bondage and labor trafficking. We have active cases in Fresno, Clovis, Huron and throughout the Central Valley.”

The most powerful point in the conference came when a young woman gave her personal account as a recent victim of human trafficking and shared the jargon used in the human trafficking industry; the 18-year-old recently helped placed her trafficker, or pimp, behind bars.

The conference, titled “Slavery Shall Not Exist”, was a partnership between our Central Valley Against Human Trafficking Project and Central Valley Freedom Coalition, an anti-human trafficking coalition funded by Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement / ACF, Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division.

Click on the links below to view media coverage of the event.

http://www.ksee24.com/news/local/90882249.html

http://www.kmph-kfre.com/global/story.asp?s=12314664

http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/local&id=7386827

http://www.cbs47.tv/news/local/story/Human-Trafficking-Conference-in-Fresno/2_XBN1DrFUiHOkgy-FCIFw.cspx