ATLANTA, GA – The statistics regarding human trafficking are staggering.
It is estimated that there are 1.5 million human trafficking victims in the U.S., most of which are children. The Federal Bureau of Investigation recently named Atlanta as one of the fourteen cities with abnormally high rates of human trafficking. However, the issue is not limited to Atlanta, human trafficking is taking place in every corner of our state.
Governor Brian P. Kemp, joined by First Lady Marty Kemp, Attorney General Chris Carr, Speaker of the House David Ralston and members of the Georgia General Assembly, announced on May 24 the creation of a new Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit to be housed within the Department of Law.
“One victim of human trafficking in the state of Georgia is one too many,” said Governor Kemp. “Marty and I are dedicated to ending this horrific crime which is why we worked with members of the General Assembly to prioritize funding for the creation of this unit. Starting January 1, Attorney General Carr will have the resources he needs to crack down on this industry and make sure that buyers and traffickers know Georgia is a hostile environment for those who seek to abuse our children.”
“Today, we take a large step forward in the fight to end human trafficking in the State of Georgia,” said First Lady Marty Kemp. “The GRACE (Georgians for Refuge, Action, Compassion, and Education) Commission members and I are excited to partner with the new Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit to stop the bad actors fueling this terrible industry and protect our state’s most vulnerable.”
GRACE was created to combat the threat of human trafficking in the State of Georgia, comprised of public officials, law enforcement, for-profit and nonprofit organizations, faith-based institutions, and subject matter experts to tackle human trafficking, seek justice for victims, hold bad actors accountable, and end human trafficking.
The Human Trafficking Unit will be comprised of the following positions:
• Senior Prosecutor
• Junior Prosecutor
• Criminal Investigator
• Crime Analyst
• Victim Advocate
• Administrative Assistant
“We are excited to build this Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit with dedicated staff who will work every day to protect our state’s most vulnerable and put buyers and traffickers behind bars,” said Attorney General Chris Carr. “These resources are critically important, and we are grateful to Governor and First Lady Kemp and the Georgia General Assembly for making our unit a priority in the FY 2020 budget.”
“Human trafficking is a vile trade which we will not tolerate in Georgia,” said Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge). “The General Assembly is committed to supporting the work to eradicate this criminal enterprise, and I thank Governor Kemp and the First Lady as well as Attorney General Carr for their unwavering resolve to end human trafficking in our state.”
The unit will be housed within the Attorney General’s Prosecution Division, working closely with local, state and federal law enforcement officials to investigate and prosecute human trafficking cases.
