Summary

With estimates of up to 500 youth, some as young as 12 years old, are being exploited for sex work every day in King County, the Metropolitan King County Council today unanimously approved an extensive effort to help highlight and prevent human trafficking across the County.

Story

With estimates of up to 500 youth, some as young as 12 years old, are being exploited for sex work every day in King County, the Metropolitan King County Council today unanimously approved an extensive effort to help highlight and prevent human trafficking across the County.

“King County is unfortunately a hot spot for trafficking because of our proximity to so many national and international hubs for travel,” said Councilmember Dunn. “The work we are doing is critical in helping victims and preventing future victimization in our region and beyond.” 

“Human trafficking, including sex trafficking and labor trafficking, is not confined within geographical boundaries or jurisdictions and neither should our efforts to prevent, protect and provide services to victims and survivors as well as prosecute perpetrators,” said Councilmember Kohl-Welles. “I am pleased King County has been joined by a number of regional partners in this important initiative.” 

The motion calls on the King County to work in collaboration with the Port of Seattle and the City of Seattle to help highlight the need to end this exploitation.  

According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, 163 cases of human trafficking were reported in Washington State in 2017, the majority being sex trafficking cases. That number is just a fraction of the actual instances of trafficking and abuse seen in the state, spurred by population growth in King County and throughout the state. 

Seattle Chief of Police Carmen Best noted “Seattle Police Department's Vice/High Risk Victims Unit has been a national leader in taking a survivor-centered approach to ending human trafficking, and the City is proud to join in these important outreach efforts.”

“The Port is a safe and welcoming place that reflects the values of our community,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner Courtney Gregoire. “We are honored to join governments, companies, and advocates in this campaign to stop human trafficking and ensure that the rights of all people are respected.”

A similar effort was launched in 2013 that placed signs across 200 Metro buses and billboards. This led to a 500 percent increase in calls from Washington to the National Human Trafficking hotline. The new campaign could place materials in Metro and Sound Transit buses as well as on trolleys, street cars, transit centers and stations, and in Sea-Tac Airport.

The public awareness campaign has three main goals:

• Raise public awareness about the nature of human trafficking, how and where it occurs locally, and how to prevent and stop it;
• Help identify victims and promote access to victim services; and
• Decrease demand in trafficking. 

Read more about this legislation on the King County Council’s LEGISEARCH system at https://kingcounty.gov/council/legislation.aspx  and type in “2018-0275”