Traffic of people in Southwestern Virginia: Local Non -Profit Purpose that copes with the growing crisis – WSLS 10

Southwest Virginia -human trafficking is not just a problem with the big city-it happens in communities in southwestern Virginia, where law enforcement and defenders say that the search for resources to combat traffic and support for survivors is ahead of availability.

Arrests and investigations for traffic in the region

Next week, the man in Florida will appear before a judge in Radford on charges of allegedly trafficking in a woman’s sexual trafficking in the New River Valley. Frank Smith was arrested in October after an undercover investigation.

Earlier this month, six men were arrested in Campbell County as part of a separate sex trafficking investigation. The suspects, all local to central and southwestern Virginia, range from 27 to 56 years.

Despite the increasing awareness, law enforcement officers claim that traffic remains difficult to track and report.

Safe asylum for survivors in the mountains of the blue ridge

Stopped in the mountains of the Blue Ridge, securely provides support for the survivors of human trafficking in Virginia.

Rebecca Bruno, CEO of Lampstand, a non -profit goal that runs a safe home for girls aged 12 to 17 years who have been sexually operated or traffic, says the need for resources is huge.

“This happens everywhere. It’s not what you think in movies. It’s not TakenYou know. This happens in our backyards, “Bruno said.

Bruno recalled a case where a girl had been on the list of waiting for six months, waiting to be 12 years before she could receive help. “Which is just really horrifying,” she said.

Although many people do not expect that human trafficking can happen in their own neighborhoods, Bruno urges people to trust their instincts. “Most people have this internal, inner bowel feeling when they think something is wrong – burn, trust that feeling. If he looks, he is off. And you just have to be ready to report it, “she said.

According to the latest data from the national hot line for human trafficking, 527 councils were reported in Virginia in 2023. Of these, 157 cases were identified, including 264 casualties – 39 of them are minors.

Karen Sterling, Deputy Director of the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, said human trafficking was often not enough reported and difficult to detect.

“Traffic certainly doesn’t stay in one country,” Sterling said. “Traffickers can be family members. Traffickers can be a friend from high school; They can be teachers. Indeed, the problem is that the victims have this wide appearance, but both traffickers. “

Lampstand Safehome is the only such facility in Virginia. With only eight rooms, he struggles to respond to increasing demand. “In the last year, we have had about 70 different referrals throughout the country,” Bruno said. “We need more beds and we need more hands so we can serve them.”

For more information about the lamp, visit their website: Lampstand.

Efforts to participate and prevention of the Community

Sterling says the fight against traffic requires collective effort. “This really has to include the community to work,” she said.

Bruno and Sterling emphasize that education is key. “Unfortunately, the average age of the victim of traffic in the United States is currently 12. So we focus so much on education to prevent and enter our high schools and secondary schools in the area because 12 is a high school,” Bruno said.

Sterling noted the importance of changing the perceptions of victims of traffic. “We probably need to get out of viewing prostitution as prostitution. Because there is a very little real prostitution in this day and age, “she said. “It’s very easy to control another person. It’s just a matter of what this person needs and what you are ready to provide for. “

This month, Virginia’s State Police is launching a new awareness campaign called Silence Operation, Broken, aimed at College College all over the country. The goal is to train students, teachers and police on campus how to recognize and respond to trafficking in human beings.

Warning signs

Here are some warning signs for human trafficking to be careful, according to information from VSP, the Virginia Criminal Justice Ministry and the national hot line for human trafficking:

Physical and behavioral signs

• Awesome or submissive behavior: Victims may look scary, anxious or too submissive. They can avoid eye contact and seem to be hesitant to talk freely.

• Physical injury or branding: Directors often have signs of physical violence such as bruises, cuts or other injuries. Some victims may also have tattoos that show property as a name or symbol.

• Inappropriate clothing: Wearing clothes that are sexually suggestive or inappropriate for the time, which shows that it may be under the control of traffickers.

Situations

• Isolation from friends or family: Victims are often isolated from their maintenance networks and cannot be left to interact freely with others.

• Inability to leave: Persons, traffic, can be physically limited, unable to leave their workplace or home without permission from their abductors.

• Unusual working conditions: Having difficult working, such as extremely long hours or tasks that seem unsuitable for their age or skill level, is common among victims of traffic.

Behavioral Red Flags:

• Unknowing with location: Victims may not know where they are or may give inconsistent or scripted answers when asked for their location.

• Be controlled by another: A person who seems to be under the control of someone else or is constantly inferior to another person is a common sign of traffic.

How to report a suspect of human trafficking

If you suspect human trafficking, here’s how to report it:

• Call 911 or dial #77 to get to Virginia’s state police.

• Call the national hot line for human trafficking on 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733.

• Report the fears of the anonymous Council of the Virginia State Police by sending text messages “VSP”, followed by the top of 847411 or send advice online here.

• Report that it is suspected that the traffic of a minor by calling the hot line to protect the child for children of Virginia (CPS) at 800-552-7096.

• Report suspected that trafficking in adults aged 60 years or older and incapacitated adults aged 18 or older by calling the hot line for Virginia’s adults (APS) of 1-888-832-3858.

Support for survivors:

• Virginia’s victims (VVAN) Network manages spare trafficking to people to provide resources to victims and survivors. Call either text 833-463-6448 or talk to a lawyer online here.
• The national hot line for human trafficking provides support for victims and survivors of 24/7. Call 888-373-7888, text 233733 or talk to a lawyer online here.

For a complete list of Virginia -specific resources, visit: Virginia’s trafficking resource or learn more in response to Virginia human trafficking.