Watson Proposes Human Trafficking Task Force

Howard County Council member Courtney Watson submitted legislation this week to form a task force to study human trafficking in the county.

"Due to our location along the I-95 corridor and proximity to BWI airport, Howard County is a prime location for this crime and in fact we have had four arrests since 2012," said Watson, in a statement. "We need to be aggressive in our efforts to make Howard County free of human trafficking."

In October, a man was charged with human trafficking after a woman told police in Sykesville he had forced her into prostitution for the past two years. In another incident that month, police charged a Rhode Island couple  arrested in Elkridge with kidnapping a 24-year-old woman and attempting to force her into prostitution.

The resolution will create a task force to coordinate anti-trafficking efforts, conduct community outreach, and form partnerships between law enforcement and other organizations, according to Watson.

“This criminal activity must be addressed by a variety of measures at all levels of government," said Tahira Mussarat Hussain a member of Howard County Advocacy Group Against Slavery and Trafficking (HoCo AGAST), in a statement.

A public hearing on the legislation is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the George Howard Building in Ellicott City and a vote is expected at the Council's meeting on Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in the Banneker Room.

Council members Calvin Ball, Jenn Terrasa and Mary Kay Sigaty are cosponsors of the legislation.

Watson said in a statement human trafficking is a $32 billion per year industry in which victims rarely come froward for help due to fear of traffickers, language barriers and fear of law enforcement.

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