ATLANTA — Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp joined with the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council's Georgia Coalition to Combat Human Trafficking on Wednesday to announce the creation of a new statewide anti-trafficking hotline at 1-866-ENDHTGA.
The statewide hotline has been designated to provide answers to questions, assistance and information to law enforcement if there is any suspicion of sexual or labor exploitation of individuals in Georgia, according to a release.
"The launch of this hotline is great news for our state," Kemp said. "It's going to allow all Georgians to play a critical role in advocating for those who are at risk and those who have been sexually exploited, increasing our capacity to address human trafficking in every community across the state."
The hotline's launch is in conjunction with the opening of a website for the Georgia Coalition to Combat Human Trafficking to provide tools and information on the state's response, improving collaboration across the state, the release said.
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"Georgia continues to lead in the fight against human trafficking," said Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Executive Director Jay Neal. "We must help Georgia’s most vulnerable – and this hotline provides every Georgian the ability to participate, ensuring access to needed services for any victim of trafficking."
The release said that any Georgian with information or suspicions of human trafficking should call the statewide hotline at 1-866-ENDHTGA. Trained law enforcement agents, advocates, and first responders are available 24/7 to answer calls.
"This hotline will be a direct link for anyone seeking help or to make a report to be connected to the correct resource," said Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vic Reynolds. "The coalition is taking a holistic approach to combatting the plague of human trafficking, and the GBI is proud to be a partner in that fight."