The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control announced a new initiative aimed at reducing human trafficking and rescuing those trapped in the illegal trade.
The “You Are Not Alone” campaign includes billboard messages throughout Oklahoma, posters in public spaces and stickers directing victims or those who suspect human trafficking to appropriate resources.
“This is an initiative to make Oklahomans more aware of what's going on, not just in Oklahoma, but across the nation,” OBN Director Donnie Anderson said during a new conference at the Capitol on Thursday. “It is something that we're hoping we're able to put information out that if someone wants to report what they suspect as human trafficking, it’s readily and easily available to them.”
Since OBN’s Human Trafficking Unit started in 2011, the agency has recovered 141 adult victims, 58 juvenile victims and made 118 human trafficking arrests.
This year, OBN has made 13 human trafficking arrests, and recovered 30 adult victims and two juvenile victims, authorities said.
At the Capitol, Anderson was joined by Gov. Kevin Stitt, legislators, state and regional law enforcement leaders and nonprofit groups.
“We've got to stop this human trafficking,” Stitt said. “So just whatever I can do from the state level to support the men behind me and the women that are so focused on this. But also, we were talking about the (non-government organizations), the churches, the nonprofits, the people that are very passionate about this.”
Among the nonprofits represented was The Dragonfly Home, which is Oklahoma City's only state-certified provider of human trafficking victim services.
“We've served over 1,000 victim survivors of sex trafficking or labor trafficking here in Oklahoma City,” Melissa Eick, a Dragonfly co-founder said. “We have our own 24-hour human trafficking helpline, and our team has fielded over 11,000 calls to that hotline since November of 2016.”
Human Trafficking is the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain a labor or commercial sex act.
The “You Are Not Alone” initiative also consists of posters that will be displayed in participating spaces like schools, universities, convenience stores and health care facilities.
The effort includes small blue stickers in bathrooms at these locations. A QR code is displayed on both the posters and stickers, directing inquiries to the human trafficking section of the OBN website.
Visitors to the website can learn about the signs of human trafficking and anonymously report suspicious activity.
The QR code also directs visitors to resources from the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and state-certified non-government organizations that specialize in supporting human trafficking victims.
Schools and businesses wanting to have posters and stickers to display at their locations are encouraged to contact OBN.
A toll free number is available 24 hours a day for those seeking help related to human trafficking. Anderson said the hotline may be used by those who are leery of talking to police.
“I'm speaking directly to the victims of human trafficking,” Anderson said. “You have to understand that you absolutely are not alone. You do not have to reach out to law enforcement. If you're not comfortable speaking to law enforcement, you do not have to talk to us. These resources are available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”
Several state agencies are participating in the initiative, including the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement (ABLE) Commission.
ABLE Executive Brandon Clabes, a former chief of the Midwest City Police Department, said ABLE investigates suspected trafficking in and around restaurants, bars, hotels and convenience stores.
“It's imperative we educate the public and our friends and neighbors to be vigilant so that human traffickers are held accountable, and victims are given the voice they desperately need,” Clabes said.
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections is also playing a crucial role in the “You Are Not Alone” initiative. The proliferation of illegal cell phone use in Oklahoma prisons means trafficking operations can be run by inmates behind bars.
In July, authorities announced an investigation into a commercial sex ring operated from a state DOC facility in Vinita.
In the effort to bust trafficking rings and other criminal activities behind bars, Steven Harpe, director of the state DOC, said Thursday the department has “broken” more than 5,000 cell phones in prisons since July 2023.
Indeed, Harpe cautioned, crime doesn’t necessarily stop at the prison gate.
“That's not the case,” Harpe said. “A lot of these guys try to continue — and girls — to run their criminal enterprises from within the walls. The interesting thing is that for the first time the state of Oklahoma has technology at its fingertips now that is enabling this fight.”
The human trafficking hotline is 855-617-2288.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma announces new anti-human trafficking campaign
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