 From the left: Assistant Chief Steve Hirjak, Seattle PD; Shelly Parker, Alaska Airlines; Councilmember Reagan Dunn, King County; Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht, King County; Tony Gonchar; Delta Airlines; Commissioner Courtney Gregoire, Port of Seattle
This morning, I joined with leaders from the Puget Sound region to announce our joint regional campaign to promote awareness of the tragic issue of human trafficking. Though it is a crime that often goes unseen, human trafficking for labor or sex is a horrifying assault on human dignity and liberty—and sadly, it happens here at home in King County.
As a former federal prosecutor, I’ve seen firsthand the devastation that sex crimes wreak on the lives around us. That’s why I’ve made it a priority to educate the public about they can do to help, and to encourage victims to find the help they need. In 2013, I sponsored one of the first local campaigns to raise awareness of this issue, and we successfully increased calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline by 63%. Today’s announcement continues our progress.
This new campaign is a partnership between King County, the Port of Seattle, the City of Seattle, Sound Transit, and private sector partners including Alaska Airlines and Delta Airlines. Other participating partners include King County cities, Expedia, Uber, and the Snohomish County Lodging Association.
Keep an eye out for these informational signs, which we are placing in highly visible places throughout the region:
Remember—if you see something that doesn’t look right, it only takes a simple phone call to the National Human Trafficking Hotline report it. The number is 1-888-373-7888, or text HELP or INFO to 233733.
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