Valley event aims to crack down on human trafficking

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- Hundreds of professionals in law enforcement, social services, victim services, and legal services filled the Clovis Veterans Memorial District on Tuesday for the 6th annual Conference on Human Trafficking.

Speakers touched on topics including understanding modern day slavery, current recruitment trends, cultural considerations, and seeking justice for trafficking victims. The Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission (EOC) has identified 178 victims in Fresno County in the past five years. And in addition to sex trafficking, they say they are seeing an increase in labor trafficking.

"We as a community know sex trafficking as the only type of trafficking, but we are also in a very large ag area where labor trafficking can be a large component, too. Labor trafficking can also include domestic servitude, people hidden behind closed doors -- being servants basically. And that's why we call it modern day slavery," said Sareen Bedoyan-Creede, Fresno EOC.

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More information or report a tip

National Human Trafficking Resource Center (888)-373-7888.

Fresno EOC -- Central Valley Against Human Trafficking project (559) 263-1379.