The Greater Tampa Bay Anti-Human Trafficking Working Group Update

The FREE Network is excited to share an update on Tampa Bay coming together to address human trafficking in our community. The Greater Tampa Bay Anti-Human Trafficking working group, created in April of this year, came together this week to discuss challenges and opportunities in ending human trafficking and supporting victims and survivors of this crime. Twenty-five organizations in the anti-human trafficking movement in the Tampa Bay area were present.

The FREE Network facilitated the discussions among law enforcement, survivors, service providers and academia in our community. We understand the importance of creating a collaborative environment to share information in order to leverage resource, avoid duplicating efforts and avoid reinventing the wheel. It is through this process of sharing knowledge and information that we can better and more effectively address human trafficking in our community.

Topics in the working group session included emergency and long-term housing, law enforcement initiatives, awareness, prevention, and legislation. A separate committee will address emergency and long-term housing needs for victims and survivors of human trafficking, a critical need in our community.

The group will meet quarterly to continue moving forward in our shared vision of ending human trafficking and supporting the victims and survivors in our community. For more information about the working group and our members, visit us at:

https://www.freenetwork.us/greater-tampa-bay-human-trafficking-working-group/