January is National Human Trafficking Awareness month and Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt is launching a radio public service announcement campaign to make Kansans more aware. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, human trafficking is one of the largest and fastest growing criminal industries in the world. Both sex trafficking and labor trafficking occur in Kansas and both adults and children are victims. Kansas’ location and interstate system make it a major transportation area for victims of human trafficking.
Combating human trafficking in Kansas has been a priority for Schmidt. Kansas is now one of 15 states whose laws receive an “A” ranking from Shared Hope International, a victim advocacy group that seeks to end sex trafficking and exploitation of women and children worldwide. Since Schmidt took office in 2011, Kansas’ score has risen from an “F” to an “A” one of only six states that has done so.
