January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Human trafficking is a billion-dollar business around the world and it thrives here in Orange County. The crime deprives a person of their liberty through force, fraud or coercion for the purposes of labor or sexual exploitation.
Human trafficking victims are hiding in plain sight in Orange County on buses and at transit centers. Hundreds of OCTA coach operators have received annual training from members of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Transit Police and the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force (OCHTTF) to help them identify and assist victims. Through its award-winning Be the One campaign, OCTA raises awareness about the crime of human trafficking and encourages the public to notify drivers if they spot a potential victim.
Recently, OCTA joined OCHTTF and other agencies at Cal State University Fullerton to raise awareness about sexual exploitation and human trafficking. In addition to college students, more than 250+ middle school students from Anaheim, Fullerton and Santa Ana Unified attended the event.
Click here to learn more about human trafficking and what you can do to join the fight against it.