With the National Championship game in town, Arizona's attorney general is making it clear human trafficking will not be tolerated. There are billboards in Times Square and downtown Phoenix, but Pinal County is also taking action to protect potential victims.
Pinal County Attorney Lando Voyles says all of the north and south thoroughfares through Pinal County make it a high traffic area, and while we tend to see the issue in the spotlight in conjunction with big sporting events, Voyles says finding and prosecuting traffickers is a year-round effort.
"You don't need sports events to have people here trafficking victims, you don't need it, all you need is someone who wants to buy and sell young children or sometimes adults," Voyles said.
The county is using a $90,000 Department of Health and Human Services grant to raise awareness through PSAs and billboards along Interstate 10. It's also focused on training as many people as possible, including first responders, health professionals, even truck stop owners, to recognize potential trafficking victims.
"If they don't believe that there's a better life and that we're actually here to help them, they're not going to do anything, they're not going to come forward," said Voyles.
The effort comes to the Valley next week as Mesa Fire and Banner Health take part in two days of training.
