Website provides citizens with a centralized location for information related to human trafficking in Mississippi.
The Mississippi Department of Health website states that human trafficking affects 12 to 27 million men, women and children worldwide who are held in slavery. It is both a worldwide issue and a local issue. “Human trafficking is happening in Mississippi, with Mississippians as victims.”
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation Human Trafficking/Special Victims Unit, a division of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, recently launched a newly designed website dedicated to combatting human trafficking.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation Human Trafficking / Special Victims Unit (MBI HT / SVU) is comprised of the statewide human trafficking coordinator, a supervisory special agent, four regional human trafficking special agents, and a human trafficking intelligence analyst.
“The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation Human Trafficking/Special Victims Unit’s new human
trafficking website illustrates our continued commitment to ending human trafficking in
Mississippi,” said Governor Tate Reeves. “The website will raise awareness about human
trafficking while providing citizens with the tools needed to identify and report this heinous crime, ultimately allowing us to hold traffickers accountable and create a safer Mississippi for all.”
The website was funded by the Mississippi Legislature and provides people with steps on how to report suspected and known human trafficking in Mississippi, who to contact, and gives access to statistics to human trafficking reports for the most current reporting period.
In the January 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020 reporting period, the total number of human trafficking reports was 214 with 210 sex trafficking reports and 8 which included sex and/or labor trafficking reports. Of these cases, 202 victims were reported as potential minors.
“With the mission of making Mississippi a safer place for the state’s residents in mind, we are
proud to announce the launch of the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation Human
Trafficking/Special Victims Unit’s dedicated human trafficking website,” said Commissioner Sean Tindell. “It is our hope that this website will serve as a resource for citizens and an instrument in the fight against human trafficking in Mississippi.”
Human Trafficking Hotline
- 1-888-373-7888
- help@humantraffickinghotline.org
- humantraffickinghotline.org
Anne Summerhays
