Eastland County Museum shines light on human trafficking with new exhibit ‘Not Alone

EASTLAND, Texas ( KTAB/KRBC ) – The Eastland County Museum has added a new exhibit called ‘Not Alone’ that aims to bring attention to the widespread issue of human trafficking in Texas and the Big Country. This informative exhibit, which was added to the museum on Thursday, serves as a valuable resource to educate the public about human trafficking.

Terry Simmons, President of the museum board, stated that one of the main reasons for including the exhibit in the museum was to further capture the community’s attention.

“Being on Interstate 20, we have had several cases of human trafficking stopped on the interstate and some businesses in the area that were accidentally involved in human trafficking that they didn’t really know about,” Simmons said.

Chief Tom Pitts, with the Eastland Police Department, agreed that Interstate 20, being a major highway, does cause human trafficking issues to take place in the area, which is a misconception with a lot of residents.

“Anytime you’re on an interstate system, those are the main veins that filter in from Mexico and everywhere else. So you’re going to see more crime naturally,” Chief Pitts said.

Eastland County has experienced human trafficking in the community, and Chief Pitts emphasizes the importance of speaking up when witnessing suspicious activities.

“A lot of times, people will notice something that doesn’t look right or looks out of place, but they won’t call us or tell us until later on or a day later,” Chief Pitts told KTAB/KRBC.

The museum hopes that the new exhibit will educate the public and encourage residents to take a closer look at their surroundings, which could save a life.

The exhibit will be on display from July 11 to August 3. It is open from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Thursday through Saturday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com.