The City of Topeka is partnering with Shawnee County, The District Attorney’s office, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, state officials and Freedom Now USA to combat human trafficking in Topeka/ Shawnee County. A joint press conference held on April 5th, announced the partnership of these agencies in the fight against human trafficking.
Freedom Now USA, an initiative launched by the Topeka Rescue Mission, is uniting efforts to eradicate Human Trafficking in the United States. Barry Feaker, Executive Director of the Topeka Rescue Mission said, “Freedom Now USA is proud to partner with Topeka and Shawnee County leaders to win the fight against Human Trafficking in our back yard. Our nation needs a win against modern day slavery and Kansas has a rich history of not compromising on this issue. By uniting, we will eradicate Human Trafficking from our city, county and eventually our nation.”
A resolution to combat human trafficking was signed by the Topeka City Council on April 3rd. The Shawnee County Commissioners signed the same resolution on April 5th.
“The City of Topeka is proud to help out all of our partners in putting a stop to human trafficking in our community. Together we can all make a difference and help end suffering in our community,” said Topeka City Manager Brent Trout.
A Freedom Now Coalition will be formed for Topeka and Shawnee County which will create solutions to end human trafficking by identifying the unique challenges and concerns faced by our community. The coalition will work to address human trafficking on the local level while coordinating with the state and national Freedom Now initiatives.
“This joint effort is essential in helping out the men, women and children who are being abused and enslaved in human trafficking,” said Mayor Michelle De La Isla. “It is crucial that we all unite to help stop human trafficking so that people are able to live without fear of being recruited and solicited for labor or sexual servitude.”
“The Resolution presented to the Shawnee County Commission reaffirms our position that Human Trafficking will not be supported or ignored in our community. As a County we support the endeavors to end the persecution of individuals who have been forced into human trafficking,” said Shawnee County Commissioner Kevin Cook.
These agencies are partnering to eliminate human trafficking in Topeka and Shawnee County by identifying, addressing and eliminating situations that lead to or allow human trafficking to occur. To reach this goal these agencies will provide education to help identify victims and perpetrators of human trafficking, establish ways for victims to safely seek justice and be provided with access to restorative and support services, and to prosecute those individuals, businesses and systems that conduct and benefit from human trafficking.
By working together, sharing resources and creating action plans, these agencies in Topeka and Shawnee County will work to stabilize this community and decrease the vulnerability of our citizens to human traffickers. This coalition will meet once a month to discuss actionable plans with Freedom Now staff. These plans will influence policy at the city and county level. The action plans will establish a framework that allows these agencies to collaborate and share vital resources, best practices and data to help eliminate human trafficking.
For more information on the Freedom Now USA initiatives please contact Barry Feaker at the Topeka Rescue Mission (785) 354-1744.