Arizona has taken a significant step in combating human trafficking with the announcement of a new statewide task force. This initiative was revealed at the “Night of Hope 7” event, organized by Not In Our City, where prominent lawmakers, including State Senator J.D. Mesnard and Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, were in attendance.
The task force aims to bring together policymakers, law enforcement, and community members to tackle this complex issue. As Steve Biondo, past president of the Tim Tebow Foundation, emphasized, “The only way to fight that evil is a cooperative effort between policymakers who are public servants, law enforcement, and then the community.”
Arizona faces a significant challenge with human trafficking, particularly in the Phoenix area, which is recognized as one of the top jurisdictions for this crime in the country. The state’s porous border and major events like the Super Bowl and Final Fours create environments that traffickers often exploit. Congressman Andy Biggs noted, “This is an issue that impacts our state dramatically. We have a very porous border, we have a lot of human trafficking, a lot of child trafficking here.”
This move follows the passage of Proposition 313 by Arizona voters, which mandates life imprisonment for convicted child sex traffickers. Additionally, recent human trafficking operations in Valley cities resulted in nearly 220 arrests, highlighting the ongoing nature of the problem. Gilbert Police Chief Michael Soelberg underscored the challenge, stating, “It’s an ongoing problem. Every time we’ve done an operation, regardless of which city has done it, we’ve had an overwhelming number of suspects that we can go after to the point we have to stop just to focus on the ones we currently have.”
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