Mayor's Minute: March 2021
Mountain Brook leads the state in the anti-human trafficking initiative.
Another reason you can be proud of your city. On Dec. 9, our city council passed an ordinance proclaiming our city as a “Trafficking Free Zone.” This is an initiative with the Child Trafficking Solutions Project in partnership with the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking. We then became the first city in the state to have our employees complete the certification training. This training teaches you to recognize the signs of potential human trafficking. Our police and fire personnel are developing a plan of action for more extensive training since they are more often in a position to spot cases of human trafficking.
When this issue was first brought to my attention, my initial thoughts were that much like drug abuse, this was part of a national crisis, but not a problem in our city. I soon learned that no city is immune to these problems. It did not take long to sell me on the notion that we should take a leadership position and my thoughts were, “Why not get our Jefferson County Mayors Association behind this as well?” They readily embraced the initiative and many cities have already passed ordinances of their own, including Vestavia Hills, Hoover, Homewood, Birmingham, Trussville, Center Point and Pinson.
In my mind, human trafficking involved a male forcing a young lady to prostitute herself. And while this does happen, I also learned that human trafficking has no age limits, is not gender specific, has no socio-economic boundaries and happens in many forms. One way it often starts is in a chat room on the Internet. I have never visited a chat room so I do not know exactly how it works, but you can bet that the younger folks know exactly how it works and most have participated in chatrooms. Parents, this is a heads up that you need to know who your children connect with on the Internet. Predators disguise themselves to become “friends” with your children and move quickly into their “DMs,” which can then lead to online grooming right within your own home.
The Junior League of Birmingham has taken on anti-human trafficking as one of its signature projects, working closely, as we are, with the Child Trafficking Solutions Project through the Children’s Policy Cooperative of Jefferson County. If you would like to learn more about how to spot possible victims of human trafficking or get involved in the anti-human trafficking movement, contact Jan Bell, Executive Director, at belljan@jccal.org.
Everyone has a role to play in combating human trafficking in our city. Recognizing the signs of human trafficking is the first step to identify a victim. Working together, we can make a positive difference in this heinous crime that steals the souls of its victims. If you have suspicions of exploitation or human trafficking, do not attempt to confront a suspected trafficker directly or alert a victim to your suspicions. Call 9-1-1 or report the suspicious criminal activity to Homeland Security Investigations at 866-347-2423.