Jan. 18, 2017

Watertown -  Mayor Joseph M. Butler, Jr. issued a proclamation Jan 11, declaring that day as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

In the statement the mayor urged the citizens to citizens to support the Sisters of St. Joseph in actively working towards stopping human trafficking.

The Sisters of St. Joseph have planned a program “A Look at Human Trafficking Close Up and Personal” for Jan. 22 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 at the SSJ motherhouse.

The presentation will be given by Andrea Marie, Program Director of DISARM THE DARK in Montreal, Quebec, and a member of the North Country Human Trafficking Task Force.

Ms. Marie will present some root causes of human trafficking, methods often used to recruit victims, and conclude with a discussion about ways all of us may be able to help stop this modern-day slavery.

Also presenting will be Anita K. Seefried-Brown, Director of Community Prevention at the alcohol and substance Abuse Council of Jefferson County.

In the United States today, it is estimated that 300,000 minors are at risk for being trafficked for exploitation. Human trafficking continues because of the huge potential for profit, based on enormous demand, and because of the negligible or low risk of prosecution.

The proclamation
The text of Mayor Butler’s proclamation follows:
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS the United States Senate designated January 11 as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day in 2007,

WHEREAS human trafficking is the modern day practice of slavery,

WHEREAS today in the United States, it is estimated that 300,000 minors are at risk for being trafficked for sexual exploitation. Nearly 75% of the victims are American citizens,

WHEREAS the average age of entry into the sex industry is 12 to 14 years old,

WHEREAS human trafficking continues because of the huge potential for profit, based on enormous demand, and because of the negligible or low risk of prosecution,

WHEREAS mortality rates for women in prostitution are over 200 times greater than those of women with similar demographic profiles,

NOW THEREFORE I, Joseph M. Butler, Jr., Mayor of the City of Watertown, New York, do hereby proclaim January 11,2017, as

NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS DAY
and urge all citizens to support the Sisters of St. Joseph in actively working towards stopping human trafficking.
Joseph M. Butler, Jr.