Local sponsors, including the City of Meridian, Community Youth Events, Parents for Public Schools, NFusion XP, Care Lodge and Brothers Brooks Vision 2 Mission, are highlighting the need for vigilance in protecting children from the rapidly growing crime of human trafficking with a program on Saturday, Nov. 4.

“Do You See What I See?”, a community forum on the topic, is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1116 23rd Ave. Four panelists will address human trafficking from different perspectives, including what “bystanders” should do to prevent victimization.

Speakers will include Heather Wagner, director of the Domestic Violence/Human Trafficking Division of the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office; Jody Dyess, with F.R.E.E. International; Sara Smith, with Care Lodge; and Ricky Leister, deputy chief of the Meridian Fire Department.

With a network of busy Interstates and state highways, Meridian is a prime target for human trafficking.

“Human trafficking is the modern version of slavery – vulnerable people, including men, women and children, are exploited for commercial gain daily by those who exert power and control over them,” Wagner said. “The true impact of human trafficking here in Mississippi is hard to pinpoint, as so many cases go unrecognized for what they truly are.  That is one of the reasons why programs like the one being offered this Saturday are so important:  the more community members who become educated as to the possible red flags which may indicate trafficking is occurring, the risk factors which may make an individual more susceptible to becoming a victim, and the mechanisms and tools used by traffickers, the better we will be able to identify it.  

“We can only take steps to combat this crime, provide much needed services and resources to victims, and hold offenders accountable for their criminal behavior, if we are able to identify and recognize the crime is occurring, and recognize that each of us has a role to play in an effective community response to human trafficking. “

Parents, teens, social workers, first responders, and counselors are encouraged to attend. For more information, call Sally Gray, Parents for Public Schools, at 662-401-3897.