January 11th Named ‘Human Trafficking Awareness Day’

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – We don’t even know it if we saw it.

That’s why bringing awareness to human trafficking going on here in Middle Georgia is so important.

And now, it’s time to fight back.

Saturday morning, Macon Mayor Reichert, M-G Alert and the Crisis Line and Safe House were on hand to declare January 11th Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

Because Macon is so close to Atlanta and major interstates, it has become a channel for traffickers to use.

More than one hundred volunteers were on hand to hear the mayor read the proclamation.

Afterward,the volunteers each took a packet of signs to hang in hotels around the community, where trafficking often takes place.

This will help raise awareness as well as help these hotels follow the human trafficking awareness laws.

“We’re going to the area hotels for one thing to get the community involved and to allow them an outlet for caring for this issue,” said Watson. “But also, to be helpful to the businesses–the hotels in the community and to make them compliant. It is a law. There is a monetary fine if they don’t comply with the law and so we we want to be helpful and we know that they want to be helpful as well.”

Watson said human trafficking goes on across the U-S, it’s just tough to see.

If you ever see, or you’re ever affected by human trafficking,

Watson said call the National Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888.

They’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.