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CommentaryInitiatives That Could Improve Success for Human Trafficking VictimsBy Lou DugganF amilies, parents, legislators... this is important! In this concluding article of the series on Human Traffickingit is time for some straight talk! During seven months of research on this subject, plus numerous interviews with legislators, survivors, law enforcement (federal, state, and local), non-profit organizations, and parents---a lot has been learned. It is that cumulative investigation that suggests initiatives that could improve the fight against this complex crime. Consideration of these initiatives at the highest State level is important.First, some valid observations... Texas has four of the top fifteen cities involved in Human Trafficking. Women and children are sexually exploited in Texas every day. The abuser is the person least expected. Family members, relatives, friends, neighbors--- most trafficking victims are preyed upon by someone they know. One-in-3 middle schoolers; one-in-9 high schoolers; that is how many kids are being recruited into sex trafficking every day.Now, some recent history... To increase the State of Texas’ efforts to impact human trafficking, Senate Bill 1527 became law on September 1, 2023. The law is a culmination of input from law enforcement, survivors, advocates, and it addresses legislativePart 7, concluding article of a multi-part series on Human Traffickingrecommendations. It amends previous law, including the prosecution and punishment of those who compel and solicit prostitution, plus creation of additional criminal offenses. Where does SB 1527 fall short?Senate Bill 1527 does an excellent job bringing Texas agencies together to coordinate human trafficking programs. However, it stops short of ensuring those agencies dedicated resources, including personnel, to wage a unified fight against human trafficking. There are numerous law enforcement task forces throughout the state, but NOT a single Texas Coordination Center or unified unit solely dedicated to combating human trafficking.Who is in charge?What agency in the State of Texas is the lead for statewide efforts to combat human trafficking? SB 1527 law mandated that many agencies have a part in the fight, but how do they accomplish their mission at the street level? Currently, Texas has numerous federal task forces and working groups, including a state taskforce for policymakers to coordinate efforts. However, their primary resources are in metropolitan areas. Rural communities are not always represented. The Attorney General’s Office is the lead for the state taskforce but does not have primary investigative authority for humantrafficking.In 2022 the Texas Court of CriminalAppeals affirmed the ruling that the Attorney General can prosecute with the permission of the local prosecutor but cannot initiate prosecution unilaterally. Thus, human trafficking investigation authority was taken away from the Attorney General’s office. As a result, local DAs have no accountability for prosecution of human trafficking. We need change; to succeed we need to have one-stop oversight over human trafficking.The State of Texas should make or ensure a State Agency is responsible for a whole-of-state approach to combating human trafficking. This should include a law enforcement investigative arm whose sole mission is investigating human trafficking. The agency should also have a state coordination center to work with law enforcement, prosecutors, victim services and be a one-stop shop for assisting communities. To avoid any conflict withTexas’ constitutional restraints local DAs could retain the right to prosecute cases.There would be no need to establish a new bureaucracy; instead, the State could provide an existing Texas entity the primary responsibility of combating human trafficking. There are several agencies with great programs including, but not limited to, the Office of the Texas Attorney General and the Texas Department of Public Safety.Okay... how do you fund it?There are many ways to fund a state-run human trafficking coordination center that would be made up of representatives from all .Blanco Road Mulch & Landscaping:It’s That Time Of Year To Mulch Your YardBy Sally Kaloslanco Road Mulch and Landscape Materials, established in 2016, is well-regarded for its high-qualityproducts and customer service. 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