Human Trafficking Prevention Seminar Comes To Purcellville

PURCELLVILLE, VA — Human trafficking is an issue in communities throughout the country. To prevent trafficking within the community, the Purcellville Police Department will host a trafficking prevention seminar next week, along with experts from Anti-Trafficking International.

The seminar will begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 3. Interested residents can attend in person at Purcellville's Town Hall in the council chambers. The event will also be live-streamed.

"While this topic is something no parent wants to think about, human trafficking still occurs, and we need to be aware of how to prevent it and recognize the signs if it does happen," Purcellville Police Chief Cynthia McAlister said. "Ignoring the issue does not make it go away, so we want to provide information so everyone can educate themselves and help us eradicate this unthinkable crime."

The seminar will feature information from Bill Woolf and Priscilla Hatfield, who work with Anti-Trafficking International. Woolf is the co-founder and current Chief Operating Officer of Anti-Trafficking International, while Hatfield works with the organization's student advisory council.

Hannah Chenault is a Community Ambassador Program Manager with Anti-Trafficking International. "The community needs to be aware of what is happening right in their own backyards," Chenault said. "We need good people who are willing to step up and help raise awareness about the realities of human trafficking here in northern Virginia."

In 2020, two federal human trafficking cases went to court in Virginia, resulting in convictions for six people, according to the Human Trafficking Institute. A total of 1,424 human trafficking cases in Virginia have been reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline since 2007.

"So many young people fall prey to traffickers’ lies because they just don’t know the threat even exists," Chenault said in a news release from the Purcellville Police Department. "And once they realize the trafficker’s malicious intent, they don’t know what to do or who to turn to about it."

There are several resources available for victims of human trafficking. The National Human Trafficking Hotline provides confidential help 24 hours per day. They can be reached by calling 1-888-373-7888 or texting “233733″.