Dallas City Wire

Victims of sex trafficking not only are likely to emerge from the state’s foster care program but often find themselves incarcerated, according to a March 6 media report.

Created by the passage of Senate Bill 72 by the Texas Legislature in January 2019, the Human Trafficking Prevention Coordinating Council is seeking to do something about it by coordinating efforts.

“Currently, our statewide partnerships and collaborative efforts have been fragmented,” states Attorney General Ken Paxton’s strategic plan titled Charting an End to Human Trafficking in Texas. “But the Coordinating Council aims to coordinate these efforts by encouraging and developing partnerships. Local, regional, and statewide partnerships may contain service providers, law enforcement, NGOs, human trafficking survivors, community leaders and other concerned citizens.”

According to the law, human trafficking is illegal under Texas HB 2096, which establishes the crime as a second-degree felony with a sentence of 2 to 20 years imprisonment. If the persons trafficked or transported are under the age of 14, or if the commission of the offense results in death, the offense is a first-degree felony with a sentence of 5 to 99 years imprisonment.

Human trafficking is unlimited by jurisdictions and borders, according to the attorney general’s report.

As a result, the Coordinating Council is charged with developing and providing comprehensive prevention, pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 402.034.

Goals include: eliminate redundancy, ensure the use of best practices, identify and collect data regarding the efficacy of programs and services and coordinate the expenditure of state funds allocated to prevent human trafficking

Released in May, the strategy encourages the growth of public-private partnerships with community organizations, such as The North Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking  (NTCAHT)  in Dallas. The challenge, however, is the networking between multiple organizations and cities.

“The ever-increasing number of entities willing to work with the state and local jurisdictions in this fight is promising,” the report states. “To fully capitalize on these partnerships, governmental organizations and NGOs must effectively communicate, collaborate, and coordinate with one another to strategically combat human trafficking.” 

The NTCAHT defines trafficking as modern-day slavery. 

“People are trafficked for sexual exploitation, forced labor, forced begging, forced marriage; for selling children and as child soldiers, as well as for removal of organs,” states the NTCAHT Facebook page.

Founded in 2011, the North Texas coalition seeks assistance from social workers, law enforcement officers, attorneys, nurses, doctors, first responders, activists, religious leaders, government officials, educators, counselors, and other professionals of diverse backgrounds involved in anti-trafficking efforts to push back against community trafficking.

The NTCAHT provides health, counseling, legal and case management services to survivors of trafficking, according to its website.

“In North Texas, people are exploited at construction sites, farms, homes, restaurants, hotels, factories and many other places,” the homepage states. “Women, men and children are living in situations of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation trapped by threats or violence. Join NTCAHT to collectively fight against human trafficking in our communities and across North Texas.”

The NTCAHT website also lists resources, such as laws, databases, books, films and documentaries to watch and requests an annual membership fee of $25. Organizations already involved with NTCAHT include the faith-based organization Alive at Last, Caramia Theatre Company, the Dallas County Juvenile Department and Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center.

The NTCAHT did not immediately respond to requests for comment.