LINCOLN, Neb. (KMTV) — On Tuesday, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen signed a proclamation declaring January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
Along with the Governor, Attorney General Mike Hilgers and Colonel John Bolduc from the Nebraska State Patrol made remarks.
Attorney General Hilgers spoke about the state’s Human Trafficking Task Force report which was released Tuesday.
He said in the last year, the task force trained 2,700 Nebraskans to recognize the signs of human trafficking.
Additionally, in 2022, Nebraska convicted 13 sex trafficking defendants of felonies — the largest number in a single year in state history.
“Unfortunately, human trafficking happens right here in Nebraska. It happens not just in Omaha, not just in Lincoln, but across our entire state. So raising awareness both for law enforcement of course but for citizens to understand the scourge of human trafficking and the signs that exist to spot human trafficking around the state is very important,” said Attorney General Hilgers.
Citizens can report suspected cases of human trafficking to the Nebraska State Patrol by dialing 833-PLS-LOOK.
For more information on identifying trafficking, visit this website.
See the full 2022 Human Trafficking Task Force report here.
Watch the full press conference below.
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