Arkansas attorney general announces $100,000 human trafficking grant
Attorney General Tim Griffin's office has received a $100,000 grant to combat human trafficking in Arkansas, he announced Thursday.
Griffin secured the grant while attending a bipartisan attorney general conference in Rome and Vatican City that was organized by the Attorney General Alliance and focused on fighting human trafficking worldwide, according to a press release from the AG's office.
'We are the most effective in our fight against international human trafficking right here in Arkansas when we are maximizing relationships, sharing information and learning best practices,' Griffin said.
During the trip, which was 'at no cost to taxpayers,' Griffin said he met with experts who specialize in 'illicit massage parlors' and invited some of them to conduct trainings and share insights in Arkansas.
Arkansas police announce human trafficking resource in line with governor's legislative goals
In January 2023, Griffin announced the creation of a statewide group to combat human trafficking called Statewide Tactical Operations Partnership (STOP) that was to be composed of representatives from federal, state and local law enforcement.
More recently, Griffin announced in January that four suspected human trafficking perpetrators were taken into custody following a statewide raid called 'Operation Obscured Vision.' The initiative focused on a dozen 'illicit massage parlors' in Jonesboro, Russellville, Hot Springs, Rogers, Harrison and a Little Rock hotel. Officials identified 17 purported trafficking victims who were 29-65 years old, and 16 accepted services from medical staff and advocacy groups that partnered with the operation, Griffin said.
Also in January, just days after the governor cited public safety as one of her priorities for the 2025 legislative session, Arkansas State Police announced a new website that provides human trafficking victims with county-level resources.
Legislators approved a number of laws related to human trafficking during the legislative session that adjourned Monday, including one that would require information about the National Human Trafficking Hotline to be posted in a nail salon or massage business licensed by the Arkansas Department of Health.
Other new laws create enhanced penalties for recruiting trafficked people from certain places, and require those convicted of violating the Human Trafficking Act of 2013 to pay mandatory restitution to victims, among other things.
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