Ending human trafficking is one of my highest priorities. It will take collaboration and efforts from leaders at the local, state and national levels to eradicate this horrific crime. As Florida’s Attorney General and Chair of the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking, I am honored to be hosting my first Florida Human Trafficking Summit next Monday. Having these leaders in the same room will lead to tremendous advances in our fight against this terrible situation. I’m looking forward to hearing everyone’s diverse ideas and innovative solutions for our state.

The annual Summit provides leaders at all levels an opportunity to learn about our efforts in different fields to combat all forms of human trafficking. Hundreds of Floridians will attend the Summit dedicated to this fight, including law enforcement, prosecutors, survivors, advocates, educators, counselors and more.

I am thankful to serve alongside so many committed individuals and organizations that want to end this form of modern-day slavery, including our state agency partners: the Department of Juvenile Justice, Department of Children and Families, Florida law enforcement and our prosecutors.

This horrific practice is still hurting Floridians and many others in our nation. A big draw for human traffickers is major events, including the Super Bowl, which will be hosted in Miami and Tampa within the next two years. In addition to elaborating on our preparations for these major events at this year’s Summit, we will hold several breakout sessions and share strategies on how to spread awareness, identify signs of human trafficking, and provide a safe environment for survivors.

For more information about this year’s Summit, click here.

Human trafficking is a plague we cannot tolerate and must continue towards eliminating it, so we can build a stronger, safer Florida.