BUFFALO, N.Y. — January 11 is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. It's a form of 'modern slavery' that occurs in every region, including here in Western New York.
Hundreds of youth and adults in WNY have been rescued from human trafficking. Local advocacy organizations are calling attention to the dangers of both seen and hidden forms of human trafficking.
One of those organizations is PATH of WNY located at 999 Delaware Ave. in Buffalo, NY. PATH is a faith-based organization with a mission to end human trafficking. They serve close to 1,000 people in our region providing services to both youth and adults.
Executive director Julie Palmer said human trafficking does not discriminate and traffickers are now targeting victims on social media or online gaming.
"It's not just certain segments of the population. We really see it affecting all segments of the population, maybe people in your own town. We'll speak and present in school districts and some of them will say, 'Well we haven't seen.' Then we will say, 'Well we have a couple of clients from your school.' And people are surprised. And so, it's really sometimes hidden," Palmer said.
Palmer said human trafficking does not have to be international transporting or state-to-state transporting. It happens in regions like ours and beyond, but there are things to look for that could indicate someone is a victim.
"Some of the red flags that we see might be when individuals start changing. When maybe their personality dynamics change, their social networks change, their mood is starting to be more withdrawn, maybe more anxious or depressed. We see individuals that maybe somebody took their phone or their identification or they give them a phone. There's a lot of tracking we can do on devices," Palmer said.
Within the past year or so, Palmer's seen people try to take advantage of people's vulnerability. Traffickers often use alcohol, drugs, or cash to lure people in.
If you or someone you know needs help, you can reach out to PATH of WNY directly. Their number to get support from their enrichment center is 716-601-5678. To learn more about their organization, you can go to their website at https://pathofwny.org/.