Central Valley leaders shedding light on human trafficking

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Volunteers were out early Tuesday morning at the intersection of Clovis and Shaw Avenue, working to get donations.

They held signs that said Pledge to Stop Human Trafficking and walked along with bright red buckets.

At a press conference, Central Valley leaders shared the message that human trafficking can happen anywhere, and people need to be alert to protect their loved ones and other innocent victims.

Local leaders and advocates say it's an issue that affects everyone.

"We are so prone to think that this is a poverty issue, west of the railroad tracks issue, foster issue," said Tiffany Apodaca with Breaking the Chains.

Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni said traffickers find different ways to prey on people who may be vulnerable.

"In some cases, they grab them, under force of threat or fear," said Sheriff Zanoni. "Other times, they work them into it because they offer them money."

The National Human Trafficking Hotline has identified more than 12,000 in California, with more than 24,000 since it launched in 2007.

Sheriff Zanoni also shared numbers specifically for Fresno and Madera counties.

"Looking back, we have served over 500 victims of human trafficking, educated over 4000 people regarding human trafficking, and there have been approximately over 40 children to get them out and keep them out of human trafficking," said Sheriff Zanoni.

Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama explained how his department plans to further its fight.

"In this next year, we are going to put an extra focus on going back and working on a lot of those unsolved cases," said Chief Balderrama. "We believe that a lot of our runaway juveniles are actually caught up in this lifestyle."

At this year's annual Pledge to Stop Trafficking, Breaking the Chains, and Project 14:14, each received $2,500 dollars in donations to continue their missions to help victims of human trafficking.

They also want to prevent more people from being pulled down that perilous path.

They say with technology at the touch of our fingertips, education is key.

"We're in that day and age now where you give your child a phone," said Apodaca. "Let's start teaching them how to use it."

Some signs to be aware of when it comes to human trafficking are if someone, especially a child, becomes withdrawn or disinterested in school or if they have two cell phones on them.

If you would like to donate to Pledge to Stop Human Trafficking, click here.

The National Human Trafficking Hotline offers 24/7 help at 1-888-373-7888. You can also text at *233733.

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