Pam Strickland, president of Eastern North Carolina Stop Human Trafficking Now, talked with Beaufort County Early College High School’s service club about the effects of human trafficking on our community.
The students were surprised to learn that North Carolina is currently the eighth state in the nation for human trafficking. The community’s location near the coast, farmland, Interstate 95 and military bases makes this a prime location for human trafficking.
“It was really shocking because it is not something that you think about around here,” said freshman Alex Amend on March 12 after the presentation.
Strickland informed the students about possible signs to look for in a human trafficking situation. She also encouraged the students to contact their local law-enforcement agencies about getting human trafficking training.
“I think that human trafficking should be publicized more so we can prevent it from happening,” said sophomore Aeryalle Williams.
The service club is working on a public-awareness campaign to inform the local community about human trafficking.