Article archive / October 2017
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 10. Source pages: 4.
On September 20, Gov. Edwards and First Lady Donna Edwards participated in the first statewide symposium aimed at bringing together key leaders and stakeholders to end human trafficking in Louisiana.
Nearly 600 people registered to attend the Statewide Human Trafficking Awareness symposium, the first of its kind to be held in the state. Hosted by the Governor’s Office of Programs and Planning and the Children’s Cabinet, the two offices have taken the lead in identifying key partners and securing grant funding from the National Criminal Justice Center for regional trafficking summits throughout the state, in an effort to raise awareness and invite citizens and stakeholders to join the fight against human trafficking.
“The fight to end human trafficking is a responsibility we all must share, from law enforcement and policy makers to educators and faith based leaders,” said Gov. Edwards. “Combating this problem is very important to Donna and me. We’re encouraged by the number of people participating in this symposium who understand the need to learn more about what we’re up against and more importantly, how we can help those who are victimized.”
Over the past three years, more than 1,000 human trafficking cases have been reported to the Louisiana State Police. Last year alone, the number of human trafficking cases in Louisiana rose by 25 percent and of the 477 confirmed or high-risk cases in 2016, nearly half involved minors being exploited for sexual purposes.
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