On January 11, Attorney General Paxton acknowledged Human Trafficking Awareness Day by delivering remarks from the Texas Capitol building. The event was attended by officials and community partners from the Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force and Coordinating Council.
During his speech, Attorney General Paxton expressed his commitment to fighting human trafficking and bringing criminals to justice. He acknowledged the collaborative efforts between his office, law enforcement partners, and community organizations in making Texas a safer place. Attorney General Paxton also thanked the dedicated workforce on the Criminal Justice teams under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Justice Josh Reno.
The event also featured presentations by various members of the Office of the Attorney General. Associate Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Justice Amber Platt, Director of Law Enforcement Brent Dupre, Human Trafficking Division Chief Amy Meredith, and Assistant Attorney General of the Human Trafficking Division Brody Burks highlighted the agency's initiatives in combating human trafficking in Texas and their ongoing efforts to prosecute criminal enterprises involved in this heinous crime.
In addition to the representatives from the Office of the Attorney General, other presenters included State Representative Senfronia Thompson, Director of the Governor's Trafficking and Sexual Violence Prevention Programs Hillary England, and president of Allies Against Slavery John Nehme.
Texas has been at the forefront of the fight against human trafficking, becoming the first state to make it an offense in 2003. Over the past two decades, the state has set a nationwide example in combatting this form of modern-day slavery. The Office of the Attorney General has played a crucial role in aggressively prosecuting traffickers and raising awareness through trainings across the state.
To learn more about the Office of the Attorney General's anti-human trafficking initiatives and their ongoing efforts to combat this crime, interested individuals can visit their website.
Quotations:
- "My office has worked tirelessly to bring human traffickers to justice. Through our collaboration with law enforcement partners and community organizations fighting to end this form of modern-day slavery, we have made Texas a safer place." - Attorney General Paxton
- "I am proud of our accomplishments putting criminals behind bars and bringing peace to victims. I want to thank the talented and dedicated workforce on our Criminal Justice teams under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Justice Josh Reno." - Attorney General Paxton
To find out more, go to this link: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-paxton-observes-human-trafficking-awareness-day