Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers said in a Facebook post that it participated yesterday in “Coffee and Conversation on Human Trafficking,” an event hosted by the Gulf Coast Center for Nonviolence.
Crime Stoppers programs are community-based initiatives that partner with law enforcement to encourage anonymous tips and public involvement in solving crimes. Local chapters typically work to raise awareness, reward information that leads to arrests and reduce barriers to reporting, officials and program literature say.
The Gulf Coast Center for Nonviolence is a nonprofit organization that organizes community events and outreach aimed at preventing violence and supporting survivors. Events such as the Coffee and Conversation sessions provide a forum for residents, advocates and agencies to discuss signs of exploitation and ways to respond.
Experts and advocates say community conversations can strengthen local responses to human trafficking by increasing awareness, improving coordination among service providers and encouraging people to report suspicious activity. Human trafficking remains a public-safety and human-rights concern that affects communities across the country.
Details about the Gulf Coast event, including participants and next steps, were not provided in the post. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
