Volusia County to step up awareness of human trafficking

Posted On: May 18, 2021

It’s considered a form of modern-day slavery, where victims are exploited for commercial sex or forced labor. On Tuesday, the Volusia County Council took steps to heighten public awareness about human trafficking.

Florida law already requires strip clubs and other adult entertainment establishments as well as many businesses that provide massage or body work services to display a human trafficking public awareness sign. The sign must be both in English and Spanish and provide contact information for the National Human Trafficking Resource Center. The state statute also authorizes counties to adopt an ordinance to enforce the sign requirement. The County Council adopted an enforcement ordinance on Tuesday, which applies countywide and carries a maximum $500 fine for violations.

The ordinance spells out its purpose.

“The county council finds that it will serve the public health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Volusia County, Florida, to inform the public as to the existence of human trafficking, the victims of the availability of assistance, and provide information for the reporting of human trafficking,” states the ordinance.

County Councilwoman Heather Post couldn’t agree more on the purpose and need for the ordinance.

“I’m very proud that our county has pushed moving forward on it,” Post said moments before the council unanimously approved the ordinance. “This is, hopefully, a beginning and a push towards advocacy in our county. Human trafficking has been happening for a very long time.”

Similar sentiments were echoed on Tuesday by Christy Gillis, community development director for the Florida Department of Children and Families Circuit 7. According to Gillis, who also chairs the Freedom 7 Human Trafficking Task Force, DCF has authenticated more than 40 local cases of children being sex trafficked in the last three years.

“It is happening in our community,” Gillis told the council. “This is something that’s happening in our community, and we want to do something about it.”

The sign ordinance applies countywide and provides for a 90-day grace period. It can be enforced by county and city law enforcement and code enforcement agencies in Volusia County. The ordinance applies to adult clubs and massage parlors because of incidents where human trafficking victims were recruited to work as employees or performers. This is a first step in an ongoing effort to further combat human trafficking. The County Council has directed staff to look at other options available to a local government within the bounds of the law. Staff is monitoring ongoing litigation, as well as some bills in this legislative session which would clarify options available to the county.