Floyd County supports efforts to fight human trafficking

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

The Floyd County Board of Supervisors has once again pledged its support for efforts to increase awareness of human trafficking in the county and beyond, and to “join forces to combat human trafficking, proclaim our commitment to engage in anti-trafficking initiatives and take a stand to make our county and state a better place.”

The board unanimously passed  the “Anti-Human Trafficking Proclamation” at its meeting Tuesday morning.

“The Board encourages all our citizens to become more informed on this growing problem, to be vigilant and report suspicious activity, and to work towards solutions to end trafficking in all its forms in our community,” the proclamation says.

“Citizens and businesses are urged to educate themselves more about human trafficking by visiting resources such as the Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking and Slavery website, www.iowanaht.org, and if they see something that doesn’t look right to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888.”

Lyna Debner, an ambassador for Shared Hope International and representative for the North Central Iowa Coalition Against Human Trafficking, said the problem is real and is definitely taking place in the state.

“The numbers are going up in Iowa,” Debner said. “There is lots and lots and lots of human trafficking going on. It’s in Iowa. It’s everywhere.”

She said children beginning around age 10 are the biggest target and social media is most often the culprit.

Many people think human trafficking involves grabbing a kid, covering his mouth with duct tape and “throwing him in the back of a white van,” she said. The reality is most victims are coerced into trafficking though social media rather than being “snatched.”

Just as many – if not more – boys are involved as girls, and being trafficked for forced labor is becoming as important as being trafficked for sex, Debner said.

She said she is available to talk to groups and organizations about the problem, but she would really like the schools to get more involved.

Schools have been approached about presenting programs to their students, but have resisted, she said, guessing they may be afraid of scaring students.

“Kids need to be scared,” Debner said. “It’s very scary and it happens everywhere.”

Debner’s email address to contact her is lynadebner@comcast.net.

This is the proclamation approved by the supervisors:

Anti-Human Trafficking Proclamation

WHEREAS, the United States was founded upon the principle that all people are created with the inalienable right to freedom and added the 13th Amendment to the Constitution making slavery illegal; and

WHEREAS, slavery within the United States today is most often found in the form of forced labor and sex trafficking, which weakens our social fabric, increases violence and organized crime, and debases our humanity; and

WHEREAS, the heinous crime is found within our own community; and

WHEREAS, the Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking and Slavery has been working since 2005 to abolish all forms of human trafficking through education, prevention, volunteerism, advocacy, and collaboration; and

WHEREAS, even though awareness of this crime is growing, human trafficking continues to go unreported due to its isolating nature, the misunderstanding of its definition, and the lack of awareness about its indicators; and

WHEREAS, increased community education on how to identify victims of human trafficking along with increased knowledge of local resources and services for those affected by these criminal actions can help restore freedom and dignity to identified survivors, as well as help diminish the number of future victims; and

WHEREAS, every business, community organization, faith community, family and individual can make a difference by choosing products that are not made by forced labor; by working to protect our young people from sexual exploitation; by addressing the problem of internet sex trafficking and pornography; and by becoming more aware of the problem and possibly solutions.

NOW, THEREFORE, the Floyd County Board of Supervisors do hereby join forces to combat human trafficking, proclaim our commitment to engage in anti-trafficking initiatives and take a stand to make our county and state a better place. The Board encourages all our citizens to become more informed on this growing problem, to be vigilant and report suspicious activity, and to work towards solutions to end trafficking in all its forms in our community. Citizens and businesses are urged to educate themselves more about human trafficking by visiting resources such as the Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking and Slavery website, www.iowanaht.org, and if they see something that doesn’t look right to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888.

— Signed by the Floyd County Board of Supervisors this 21st day of January 2025; Dennis Keifer, Chair; Boyd Campbell, Vice Chair; Gloria Carr, Board Member.

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