MADISON, WI (Wisconsin Radio Network) – A new poster aims to raise awareness of human trafficking in Wisconsin.
Attorney General Brad Schimel calls it “modern day slavery,” and a challenging criminal enterprise. “I’ve never seen cases more challenging than when we try bring human trafficking cases to prosecution,” Schimel said at a press conference to introduce the poster.
The poster includes a toll-free number and can be downloaded free from an informational state website: BeFreeWisconsin.com.
Creation of the poster was required by the passage last year of Wisconsin Act 5, aimed at strengthening the state’s response to human trafficking.
State Representative Amy Loudenbeck (R-Clinton), was one of the authors of the legislation. Loudenbeck said the hotline number will be answered by staff at the Polaris Project, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that has operated the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline since 2007.
Loudenbeck said the hotline is an essential component in addressing human trafficking.
“It is the number one most important thing that you can do to increase the incidence of reporting a case human trafficking,” she said. “It doesn’t necessarily lead to prosecution, but it is the number one thing that increases awareness.’
