FULTON, Ill. — Fulton Mayor Mike Ottens signed a proclamation April 14 to designate the City of Fulton a TraffickingFree Zone, according to a press release from the Franciscan Peace Center.
Otten said he is sending a clear message to sex traffickers and buyers. “Human trafficking will not be tolerated in our community,” said Otten. “We are proud to partner with the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking (USIAHT) to declare our city a TraffickingFree Zone and serve notice to all potential sex traffickers and buyers in Fulton and the surrounding area that our most vulnerable citizens will not be bought and sold.”
Fulton’s Police Chief Nicholas Neblung said The Fulton Police Department is the first law enforcement agency in the state to train all of its officer to identify and respond to crimes of human trafficking.
"All of our officers and staff now have the tools to identify traffickers and buyers, uncover the crime, implement second and third-level questioning procedures for traffic stops and other contacts," said Neblung.
According to the Franciscan Peace center, proclaiming a community a TrffickingFree Zone encourages residents to come together to arrest and prosecute sex buyers instead of the victims who are being sold.
The program was created by the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking (USIAHT) and locally promoted by the Sister of St. Francis Franciscan Peace Center.
