The Dark Side of Boat Race Weekend: Sex Trafficking in Tri-Cities
It may be hard to come to grips with, but there is a sex trafficking problem in the Tri-Cities.
Sex trafficking is such a problem in the world, Forbes declared it a $150 billion industry. 60 to 70% of its victims come through foster care system or other services for children. But the Tri-Cities and its many law enforcement departments have done great work to bring the operation down in our community. In the past 2 years, various sting operations have resulted in over 40 arrests. Tri-Cities Soroptimist Against Trafficking was formed 8 years ago.
One of the biggest events/times of the year for sex trafficking in the Tri-Cities is boat race weekend. It's the pinnacle of events in our community and draws in thousands of people - many from out of state.
If you think you see something that's not right, alert the authorities. Not sure how to identify the symptoms of sex trafficking? This video should help make that easy.