Bronx, NY – Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D – Bronx), author of New York State’s comprehensive anti-human trafficking law, urged New Yorkers to be aware of possible incidences of sex and labor trafficking, and to contact New York State’s free, confidential hotline if a suspicious situation arises. Earlier today, Governor Cuomo declared January to be “Human Trafficking Awareness Month,” and highlighted New York State’s efforts to combat this destructive industry.

Assemblyman Dinowitz said, “Human trafficking destroys lives and violates basic human rights. This heinous practice affects far too many New Yorkers, including more than 1,000 children every year, according to the Governor’s Office. I am proud to have authored the law that made human trafficking a crime, provided services to trafficking victims, and created an interagency task force to address this multi-faceted problem. I am heartened to see New York State make full use of these tools to attack this ugly practice, and I urge all New Yorkers to help out by reporting possible incidents of human trafficking.”

Assemblyman Dinowitz authored A.8679, which passed in the Legislature and was signed into law by the governor on June 6, 2007. The new law established new crimes of sex and labor trafficking, facilitated the delivery of social services to victims of trafficking, and created a task force to coordinate the implementation of a statewide strategy to fight trafficking.

Earlier today, Governor Cuomo announced comprehensive efforts by the 13 executive agencies that comprise New York State’s interagency task force to identify and prevent human trafficking, as well as provide support for victims of trafficking. The Governor’s Office also unveiled a new poster that lists possible trafficking red flags and a free, confidential hotline. The poster is attached. It can also be seen by visiting the following link: https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/TraffickingPoster.pdf