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July 30, 2021 - Ahead of Special Session, Attorney General Herring Requests Funding for Combating Human Trafficking

Image of the Virginia AG Seal

Commonwealth of Virginia Office of the Attorney General

Mark Herring Attorney General

202 North Ninth Street Richmond, Virginia 23219

 

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~ Herring has asked for funds to be included in the introduced budget to expand the OAG’s human trafficking initiatives into other jurisdictions ~

RICHMOND – Ahead of Monday’s special session, Attorney General Mark R. Herring is asking that funds be included in the introduced budget that will expand the Office of Attorney General’s (OAG) human trafficking initiatives into other jurisdictions and provide support for victims in all corners of the Commonwealth. Currently, the OAG manages two major, successful human trafficking initiatives: the Hampton Roads Human Trafficking Task Force and the Richmond Minor Victims of Human Trafficking Project. Attorney General Herring is proposing $2 million from the American Rescue Plan to create additional human trafficking teams that will allow the OAG to hire support staff and expand its human trafficking initiatives across Virginia.

 

“I am incredibly proud of the work my team has done to combat human trafficking and support victims in the Hampton Roads and Richmond regions. It is clear that our comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach works, which is why it’s so important that we get the funding to expand our efforts statewide,” said Attorney General Herring. “Human trafficking robs its victims of their humanity and oftentimes preys on vulnerable individuals who are only looking for financial support, stability, or acceptance. By raising awareness about human trafficking and providing crucial resources, we can give victims a path towards justice and healing and help end this heinous crime in Virginia once and for all.”

 

With this funding, the OAG will be able to expand it successful human trafficking initiatives into every corner of the Commonwealth. The OAG will hire human trafficking support staff in each regional office – Central Virginia, Northern Virginia, and Southwest Virginia – in addition to the coordinators already working in Hampton Roads and Richmond to lead efforts in those regions using the same models that have already proven effective in Hampton Roads and Richmond to support victims. Additionally, the funding will allow the OAG to:

  • Create or support existing local and regional human trafficking task forces and coordinate multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) comprised of local law enforcement, local social services offices, Commonwealth’s Attorneys, local hospitals, and domestic violence service providers to address juvenile trafficking cases;
  • Provide response protocols for accessing case management services and provide training to partner agencies on the human trafficking of minors, effective forms of response and intervention, and screening methods used to identify potential victims; and
  • Heighten community awareness of human trafficking issues and engage community partners in prevention activities.

 

This funding will allow the OAG to expand its human trafficking services to support juveniles who are minors, expand training efforts in schools, special victims units, the hotel/motel industry, the transportation industry, construction and labor, and expand partnerships with probation and parole and university and college communities, as well as continue efforts to support the LGBTQ+, non-English speaking and Native American populations.

 

Successes of the Hampton Roads and Richmond human trafficking initiatives to date:

  • Since 2016, the multi-disciplinary task force in Hampton Roads, staffed by a coordinator from the OAG, has identified victims, promoted awareness of the realities of human trafficking, and investigated and prosecuted trafficking crimes
  • In 2020, the Hampton Roads Human Trafficking Task Force conducted 60 new investigations, made 27 arrests, and identified 52 confirmed victims of human trafficking
  • The Hampton Roads Human Trafficking Task Force also expanded its outreach efforts by creating an LGBTQ and a Native American outreach subcommittee and coordinated an outreach initiative targeting airports and bus stations throughout the region
  • In 2020, eight juveniles who were victims of human trafficking received services through the new Richmond-area project, which has quickly become a robust program that includes case management, assistance with treatment referrals, community support, and court assistance

 

Attorney General Herring has made combating human trafficking in the Commonwealth a top priority. In December 2014, Attorney General Herring launched a statewide human trafficking awareness campaign to raise awareness in Virginia of human trafficking and the resources available to victims and a year later he added an online component to that campaign. In November 2016, Attorney General Herring secured a $1.45 million grant that funded the Hampton Roads Human Trafficking Task Force, which then launched in January 2017. The OAG partnered with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Samaritan House, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Virginia State Police, and law enforcement agencies from Newport News, Hampton, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, and Chesapeake for the task force. Attorney General Herring and the task force launched a regional awareness campaign in May 2018 and place billboards on major highways across Hampton Roads encouraging victims or those with information about possible human trafficking to contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center’s hotline. In November 2019, Attorney General Herring and members of the Richmond Regional Human Trafficking Collaborative announced new initiatives to improve the way the Richmond region responds to human trafficking, including a new case manager position, housed in the OAG, that is focused on juvenile victims; stakeholder trainings; and expanded victims services.

 

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