CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal enterprises in the world, but now the Horry County Sheriff’s Office is working to stop it through an interactive training event.
The Horry County Sheriff’s Office is collaborating with key players involved in a human trafficking case, from law enforcement, court system personnel, social workers, prosecutors and others, to learn the tell tale signs of trafficking.
Attendees will also learn interview techniques to help identify a sex trafficking victim and ways to validate criminal evidence of human trafficking.
Horry County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, Brooke Holden says the more community members that are involved in the effort, the better they can prevent human trafficking, protect potential victims and prosecute the traffickers.
“It happens, trafficking happens. It happens in this area; it happens across the United States, and so the better equipped we are with information and knowledge, the more we’re able to respond and also respond effectively,” Holden said.
According to data collected by the South Carolina Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Task Force, in 2018, Horry County was tied with Greenville County for having the most human trafficking court cases in the state, which is why the sheriff’s office is taking every approach possible to stop the crime.
“It really goes back to community and being able to be all involved, all hands on, and what is taken away from, for example, an advocacy group, we may take at a different approach as law enforcement, so how can we connect what two perspectives we have together to make a difference,” Holden said.
The training event will take place Friday, July 26 from 8am to 5pm at Horry Georgetown Technical College in Conway.
