At the Public Safety Center in Freehold today, Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester), Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden, Prosecutor Raymond Santiago and a host of experts in the fight against human trafficking took part in a panel aimed at informing law enforcement officers and advocates in the community about one of the largest criminal enterprises in the world.

            “Forced labor generates $236 billion in illegal profits per year according to the International Labour Organization,” said Smith. “More than two-thirds—73 percent—of these illegal profits come from forced commercial sexual exploitation.”

            “Knowing that more must be done to end these hideous crimes, it’s a special honor and privilege to join Sherriff Shaun Golden, County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago and five amazing leaders in the fight against human trafficking at today’s symposium,” Smith said.

            Organized by Sheriff Golden, the Monmouth County Human Trafficking Symposium provided updates on Smith’s push for new federal legislation as well as law enforcement programs, local resources, and personal accounts from trafficking victims.

            “Twenty four years ago, the US Congress approved and the President signed historic bipartisan legislation that I authored—the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA)—a comprehensive  whole-of-government initiative to combat sex and labor trafficking in the United States and around the world,” said Smith, who has since authored four additional laws to combat human trafficking.

            “On February 13^th of this year, the House of Representatives passed another comprehensive bill that I wrote called the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Act,” Smith said. “Each and every day, I am working hard to get the Senate to pass this legislation, which is urgently needed to bolster our fight against trafficking by enhancing programs, strengthening laws, and adding accountability.”

            The panel also included an impressive slate of guest speakers, including Julia Einbond, CEO of Covenant House NJ; Amanda Leese, Senior Vice President of Reentry and Navigator Services Volunteers of America Delaware Valley; Chief Christopher Winters of the Pine Hill Police Department; Andrea Nurko, Supervisory Special Agent at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark; and Hillary Evans, Director of Curriculum and Instruction at 3Strands Global Foundation.

            “It will take each and every one of us to end the scourge of modern-day slavery,” Smith said. “Human traffickers never take holiday—nor can we.”

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