Phoenix City Council passes anti-human trafficking proposal
Jun 11, 2014, 7:58 AM | Updated: 7:58 am
PHOENIX — Members of the Phoenix City Council unanimously passed a proposal on Tuesday that members said was part of a tough stance on human trafficking ahead of the 2015 Super Bowl hosted in Glendale.
The council heard proposals from Mayor Greg Stanton’s Task Force on Human Trafficking that detailed a strategic plan to combat the issue ahead of the big event.
“We want to look at how we can reinforce and support them so they can continue the work,” Katie Resendiz said, “but also share their knowledge with other cities here in the Valley.”
Resendiz is part of the task force and said the hope is that the four-part plan can help reinforce what Phoenix Police has been doing to fight human trafficking.
The plan involves bringing awareness to the issue, training, collaborating with law enforcement and offering victim services, Resendiz said.
Phoenix Vice Mayor Jim Waring said the city is susceptible to human trafficking and it’s an issue that gets highlighted with events such as the Super Bowl.
“It happens 365 days a year but it tends to travel to places with good weather, good transportation and a lot of big events,” he said. “Those are all great things, but we fit the bill on all three.”
He said the proposal included long-term goals for Phoenix’s plan to combat human trafficking.
