By The Star Staff
Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González Colón announced Wednesday that she joined Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) and other members of the U.S. House of Representatives to present House Resolution 7107, the Human Trafficking Awareness Training Act.
“Human trafficking continues to affect communities across the nation. To protect victims and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice, it is critical that our law enforcement agencies have the resources, capabilities and experience necessary to respond to these crimes,” González Colón said in a written statement. “That’s why I support Congresswoman Cammack’s Human Trafficking Awareness Training Act, to authorize a human trafficking awareness training program through the FLETC [Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers]. Access to this type of training will ensure that our state and local law enforcement officers can effectively combat human traffickers and provide victims with the support they need.”
The measure expands the availability of training courses under the FLETC to state and local law enforcement agencies, including tribal territories and communities.
The law recognizes the importance of FLETC training programs for law enforcement personnel and their use in recognizing and appropriately responding to potential human trafficking situations.
“Human trafficking is modern slavery, and it has no place in our society,” Cammack said.
“Our first responders deserve the best training to recognize and prevent this horrific trade and this bill will ensure that FLETC experts can share their knowledge with other law enforcement agencies across the nation,” the Florida lawmaker added. “I will continue to work with my colleagues to do everything I can to end human trafficking in the United States.”
Currently, FLETC offers several training courses related to human trafficking, including an in-depth understanding of the definition of human trafficking, information on industries and common locations of the practice, response measures, complaint protocols, and an overview of federal statutes and related state laws, among others.
January marks National Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Co-authors of the measure along with González Colón are Reps. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), Mike Carey (R-Ohio), Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), María Salazar (R-Fla.), Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) and Doug LaMalfa R-Calif.).