SOLON — With his signature Mayor Dan O’Neil proclaimed January as Human Trafficking Prevention and Awareness Month in Solon during the regular meeting of the City Council Wednesday, Jan. 17. Tish Young and Marilyn Muhle, representing the advocacy group Chains Interrupted, were present for the signing.
According to Chains Interrupted via the International Labor Organization 49.6 million people were living in a human trafficking situation (ranging from forced labor to sex slavery/prostitution) in 2021. Chains Interrupted also notes out of nearly 450 cases in the US court system in 2021 regarding human trafficking, 57% involved minors and 83% of the active sex trafficking cases in 2020 involved online solicitation.
“Your commitment to helping us raise awareness is a testament to this community, it fosters a community dedicated to keeping our youth and everyone else safe,” said Muhle, from Solon.
It was also announced the City’s public works staff will undergo awareness and prevention training next week.
“You’re ahead of the curve,” said Tish Young, also with Chains Interrupted. “I work for the City of Cedar Rapids, and I have been trying for two years to get them to get everybody with wheels trained.”
For more information on Chains Interrupted, the abhorrent crime of human trafficking, and for resources go to www.chainsinterrupted.com or call 319-364-0222. To request help or report suspected human trafficking call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP to BeFree (233733).
Proclamation for Human Trafficking Prevention and Awareness Month
WHEREAS Human Trafficking is the use of force, fraud or coercion to compel a person into commercial sex acts or labor services against their will. Exploitation of a minor for commercial sex is human trafficking, regardless of whether any form of force, fraud, or coercion was used; and WHEREAS, One of the world’s fastest growing crimes is the buying and selling of people, whose growth has been accelerated in recent years due to an increase in other social injustices such as abuse, domestic violence, racism, stigmatism, and more. Communities in rural Iowa are seeing a significant increase in the number of children victimized by labor trafficking, especially children coming to the United States from Central America: and
WHEREAS There is a large disparity between the number of persons victimized by this horrific crime and the number of persons prosecuted as offenders, with more than 661 victims receiving services in Iowa’s direct service programs in 2022, and only three individuals being convicted in Iowa’s federal courts for human trafficking, and four in Iowa’s state appellate courts; and
WHEREAS even though awareness of this crime is growing, human trafficking continues to be missed and go vastly unreported; and
WHEREAS every business, community organization, faith community, family and individual can make a difference by working to protect the vulnerable within their sphere of influence; by addressing the problem of internet sex trafficking; choosing products that are not made by forced labor; and by becoming more aware of the problem and possible solutions; and
WHEREAS the city of Solon, joins Chains Interrupted in their dedication to providing community outreach and education, legislative advocacy, training, promotion of services to survivors of human trafficking, and collaboration with law enforcement; and
NOW, THEREFORE, I Dan O’Neil, Mayor of Solon, Iowa do hereby proclaim the month of January as Human Trafficking Prevention and Awareness month and encourage all our citizens to become more informed on this growing problem, to be vigilant and report suspicious activity, and to work towards solutions to end trafficking in all its forms in our community. For assistance with this, reach out to Chains Interrupted at (319) 364-0222. If you see something that doesn’t look right, reach out to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888