January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Human trafficking is a billion-dollar business around the world and unfortunately 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 to help them identify and assist victims. The public is encouraged to notify drivers if they spot a potential victim.
More information about human trafficking and how to combat it is available here.