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The elected officers of the Florida Cupboard are standing as one in opposition to human trafficking, a difficulty that’s a specific drawback within the state with the third-most circumstances within the nation.
Per a launch from Lawyer Normal Ashley Moody, the Cupboard is recognizing January as Human Trafficking Prevention Month. To that finish, Moody and different elected officers are providing statements.
“Florida is a zero-tolerance state for human trafficking. Our Statewide Prosecutors work arduous to cease traffickers, with a virtually excellent conviction charge,” Moody mentioned.
“We are also devoted to elevating consciousness of potential indicators of trafficking and have skilled hundreds of Floridians to identify and report this crime — from truck drivers to those that work in our ports, hospitality and medical trade and lots of others in our state’s workforce. The Governor and Florida Cupboard stand united in our resolve to cease traffickers, rescue victims and finish this atrocious crime.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis, recent from a presidential marketing campaign, contrasted Florida’s actions with these taken by the Washington authorities.
“Because the federal authorities continues to disregard the human trafficking that’s linked to our open Southern Border, Florida has taken motion to remove this scourge from our state. We now have elevated penalties for human traffickers, helped victims get well and expanded our efforts to guard weak kids. In 2024, we are going to proceed to do the whole lot we are able to to crack down on the heinous criminals who take part in human trafficking, and we are going to proceed to guard Florida’s harmless kids,” DeSantis vowed.
Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson isn’t any much less dedicated, in the meantime.
“It takes a united entrance to fight human trafficking in our state and nation. Having as many eyes and ears as attainable all through our communities to determine and report suspected circumstances of human trafficking is instrumental to placing an finish to this horrific crime,” Simpson mentioned.
“On the Florida Division of Agriculture and Client Providers, we’re dedicated to coaching our workers on indicators to search for which will point out human trafficking and the best way to report it. I urge all Floridians to take the time to study the potential indicators and indicators of human trafficking and to report any suspicious exercise to regulation enforcement — it might save a life.”
Jimmy Patronis, the state’s Chief Monetary Officer and Fireplace Marshal mentioned he was working in his space of duty to combat the scourge.
“It’s a horrifying statistic that Florida ranks third within the nation in studies to the nationwide human trafficking hotline. In 2022, I advocated for laws that now offers coaching to our state’s fireplace security inspectors on the best way to determine and acknowledge human trafficking in Florida,” Patronis mentioned.
“It’s essential for first responders to have this coaching as a result of loads of instances they’re the primary ones who determine a case and might save lives. We should do all we are able to to place an finish to human trafficking and it takes each single particular person working collectively and sharing data to perform that purpose. An enormous thanks Governor DeSantis, Lawyer Normal Moody and Commissioner Simpson for his or her assist in bringing traffickers to justice.”
New laws not too long ago went into impact within the state to assist officers combat this scourge.
SB 1718 makes bringing an undocumented immigrant into Florida a felony punishable by as much as 5 years in jail and a $5,000 high quality, with extra penalties for a number of offenses.
SB 7064 permits victims to sue their traffickers and get well damages from grownup leisure institutions that facilitate their abuse. Victims are eligible for restitution from the sale of their traffickers’ seized property. The invoice additionally elevated the penalty for grownup institutions that exploit minors from a misdemeanor to a felony.
SB 1690 issues lodging institutions and shelters. It requires human trafficking data indicators to be displayed in sheltering amenities for victims and youngsters, as required for quite a few different websites, together with strip golf equipment, therapeutic massage parlors, emergency rooms, freeway relaxation stops, transit stations and airports.
In fact, there’s solely a lot that may be executed on the state stage, as U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott would seemingly agree. Final yr, they wrote U.S. Secretary of Homeland Safety Alejandro Mayorkas with issues over the Might 31 finish of “familial DNA testing.” They claimed that coverage change would additional allow cross-border “human trafficking and exploitation.”
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Grey Rohrer and Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics contributed to this report.
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