State leaders file bill aiming to raise awareness to human trafficking

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A new bill filed in the state legislature is calling for human trafficking awareness training for some people in the hospitality industry.

State representative Timothy Reeder (R-Pitt), who attended the conference Thursday, told CBS 17 he and Rep. Kevin Crutchfield (R-Cabarrus) just filed a bill that would require training for hotel workers and vacation rental home owners on how to identify human trafficking victims.

“Hotels are an important part of that continuum of how people are human trafficking. And if we can identify them in those areas and try to break that cycle would be very important,” Reeder said.

Reeder is one of dozens of lawmakers, sheriffs and other community leaders who attended the North Carolina Demand Reduction Task Force’s first “Human Trafficking Prevention Conference” Wednesday and Thursday at N.C. State University’s McKimmon Center.

Leaders and advocates discussed how to cut down on the number of people trying to buy other people. Task force co-founder Pam Strickland believes part of the solution is to change how children see themselves and others at a young age so they don’t fall into this system.

“Train kids from a very young age about concepts like consent and bodily autonomy and healthy relationships,” Strickland said.

The National Human Trafficking Hotline says North Carolina ranks in the top 15 for human trafficking cases.

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