human trafficking | DeSoto County News

Authorities are urging the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity.

AG Fitch Awards Nearly $1 Million to Aid Human Trafficking Victims in Mississippi

The funding comes from the Victims of Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation Fund, created by the Legislature in 2020.

A seven-member committee oversees the fund, with members appointed by key state leaders.

Operation Guardian Force ran from July 14 to July 29 and worked in partnership with 400 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers.

The operation resulted in one arrest and the recovery of five human trafficking victims.

Applications must be received by Dec. 13.

The most common forms of human trafficking are sexual exploitation and forced labor.

In 2021, Fitch launched the first phase of Be The Solution, with a focus on training truck and school bus drivers.

Fitch’s Human Trafficking team hosted the training to help officers understand the criminal offense of human trafficking.

In 2021, Mississippi had the second-highest rate of human trafficking cases in the nation.