County Commission approves legislation to crack down on human trafficking

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY – The Miami-Dade County Commission on Feb. 2 gave final approval to legislation sponsored by Commissioners Jose “Pepe” Diaz and Sally A. Heyman to crack down on human trafficking by enforcing a recently adopted state law imposing a $500 fine on businesses that fail to post human trafficking public awareness signs at adult entertainment and certain massage or bodywork services establishments.

“Human trafficking makes victims of the most vulnerable people in our society, including children, and we must do everything we can to end this heinous form of exploitation in our county and across the state and nation,” Commissioner Diaz said.

The public awareness signs, which will appear in English, Spanish and Creole, will state:  “If you or someone you know is being forced to engage in an activity and cannot leave — whether it is prostitution, housework, farm work, factory work, retail work, restaurant work, or any other activity — call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888 or text INFO or HELP to 233-733 to access help and services. Victims of slavery and human trafficking are protected under United States and Florida Law.”

Human trafficking involves the exploitation of men, women and children for forced labor or commercial sex and often subjects them to force, fraud, and coercion. The National Human Trafficking Resource Center, a national hotline funded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, received 1,428 phone calls and reported 364 human trafficking cases in 2014 in Florida alone.