The Arizona State Capitol Executive Tower is bathed in blue light throughout January, marking the state's recognition of Human Trafficking Prevention Month. This annual campaign raises public awareness and promotes coordinated actions to combat exploitation, providing survivor-centered support and holding traffickers accountable.
Human trafficking encompasses crimes of force, fraud, or coercion for labor or commercial sex exploitation, with an estimated 27 million people affected globally. In Arizona, it has been reported that the average starting age for sex trafficking victims is 15.6 years old, highlighting the critical need for prevention and protection, particularly for youth and at-risk communities.
The initiative is spearheaded by the Governor's Office of Youth, Faith and Family (GOYFF) and its Council to Combat Human Trafficking in Arizona. According to the GOYFF, more than 70,000 professionals and community members have been trained to recognize and respond to human trafficking, contributing to a stronger and more informed statewide response.
Emphasizing the importance of this effort, the state has allocated a significant amount of funding through various grants, including the STOP Violence Against Women Grant administered by the GOYFF, and an additional $1.6 million to the Anti-Human Trafficking Grant Fund. Despite these investments, unspent funds from the previous year have bumped the available resources up to approximately $3.8 million for local law enforcement. This funding has gone to over 20 agencies, enhancing their abilities to investigate and support victims more effectively.
"Arizona is committed to preventing human trafficking in every corner of our state and ensuring victims have access to the support they need," said Tonya Hamilton, the GOYFF Director and Tribal Liaison, in a statement obtained by the Governor's Office of Youth, Faith and Family. The successful collaboration among government and community partners aims to empower every segment of the population, including Tribal Nations, to be a part of the solution.
Arizonans can participate in several ways. They can access resources from the GOYFF's online Human Trafficking Prevention Month Toolkit, attend free Human Trafficking 101 training sessions provided by the GOYFF, and report suspected cases through the Arizona Human Trafficking Tip Line at 1-877-4AZ-TIPS or online at azactic.gov.
