VCC Adopts Awareness Of Human Trafficking Ordinance

DeLand, FL -  In an effort to increase public awareness of human trafficking, the Volusia County Council adopted  Ordinance 2021-16, which applies to adult clubs and massage parlors because of incidents where human trafficking victims were recruited to work as employees or performers. County Councilwoman Heather Post couldn’t agree more on the purpose and need for the ordinance. "This will enable us to get signage out into the community in regards to human trafficking. Previously, we’ve had people come in before us, counselors from the schools, talking about our middle schoolers being trafficked. “I’m very proud that our county has pushed moving forward on it,” Post said moments before the council unanimously approved the ordinance. “This is, hopefully, a beginning and a push towards advocacy in our county. Human trafficking has been happening for a very long time.” Christy Gillis, community development director for the Florida Department of Children and Families Circuit 7, told Council that human trafficking is happening in our community.  She’s also the Chair of the Freedom 7 Human Trafficking Task Force. "We continue as a task force to go out and do education and awareness events. We are happy to go out and do that just so that individuals know the warning signs and then are able to report it to both DCF as well as law enforcement." Per the Florida Department of Children & Families website: Use the following contact numbers to report Human Trafficking. If you have information regarding suspected Human Trafficking of a child in Florida please contact: Florida Abuse Hotline 1-800-96-ABUSE   (1-800-962-2873) If you have information regarding suspected Human Trafficking of an adult anywhere in the United States or of a child outside of Florida please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center: 1-888-373-7888 U.S. Department of Justice: 1-888-428-7581 Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation, Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Exploitation: 1-800-633-3572