Gov. Beshear, First Lady Beshear, Kentucky State Police Recognize January as Human Trafficking Prevention Month

Team Kentucky to participate in Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative Jan. 13-17

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Jan. 14, 2025) – Gov. Andy Beshear, First Lady Britainy Beshear and the Kentucky State Police (KSP) are observing January as Human Trafficking Prevention Month, raising awareness about this crime and educating the public on how to identify and prevent it.

KSP’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division (CVE) is participating in the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative during the week of Jan. 13 -17. This annual effort aims to educate commercial motor vehicle drivers, motor carriers, law enforcement officers and the public about human trafficking, the signs to look for and what to do if you suspect someone is being trafficked.

“Since I began my time in public office, I have been committed to fighting human trafficking and supporting victims,” Gov. Beshear said. “We remain committed to this fight and to making sure that no Kentuckian is a victim of this heinous crime.”

The First Lady is dedicated to raising awareness and supporting survivors, and she serves on the advisory board for the National Coalition for the Prevention of Human Sex Trafficking.

“As First Lady, and as a mom, my top priority is protecting Kentucky’s children and young adults,” the First Lady said. “I’m proud of Team Kentucky’s efforts to rescue victims, hold criminals accountable and make sure survivors have the resources they need to heal.”

“Fighting human trafficking requires strong collaboration not only within our agency but among all of us on Team Kentucky,” said KSP Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. “Together, can we create meaningful change and work to create a safer Kentucky for everyone.”

Human trafficking, a modern form of slavery, involves the exploitation of individuals through force, fraud or coercion. As many as 24.9 million men, women and children are sold into prostitution, domestic servitude or other forced labor around the globe. KSP’s works to prevent human trafficking through a multi-faceted approach.

“This month offers an opportunity to honor the resilience of trafficking survivors and acknowledge the efforts of those dedicated to combatting this heinous crime,” KSP Sergeant Vicki Day, a member of the KSP Human Trafficking Unit, said. “When more people can recognize the warning signs, we stand a better chance of breaking the cycle and ending trafficking altogether.

KSP has developed a cycle map to illustrate how human trafficking originates and perpetuates among victims, aiming to provide a clearer understanding of its devastating impact.

The three primary forms of trafficking prevalent in Kentucky:
· Labor Trafficking: Victims are coerced into work to meet basic needs or fund drug habits.
· Sex Trafficking: Victims are forced into commercial sexual acts through threats, pressure, or manipulation, often by someone they know, such as a romantic partner or family member.
· Familial Trafficking: The most common form in Kentucky involves a trusted family member exploiting the victim for profit, often in exchange for drugs, money, or other benefits.

Gov. Beshear reminds Kentuckians of the legal duty to report suspicions of children involved in the commercial sex trade to Kentucky Department for Community Based Services at 1-877-KYSAFE1 and to local law enforcement. Other concerns about possible trafficking activities should be reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. To learn more about the signs of human trafficking, click here. If there is an emergency, dial 911 immediately.

Gov. Beshear has made fighting human trafficking a core mission during his time in elected office.

As attorney general, Beshear’s office established itself as the leading agency in Kentucky’s fight against human trafficking. He created the Office of Child Abuse and Human Trafficking Prevention and Prosecution, assigned staff to assist local law enforcement with resources in an effort to resolve human trafficking complaints and trained thousands of individuals statewide.

The Office of the Attorney General also arrested a historic level of child predators during Beshear’s term. He also created the Survivor’s Council, which provided a way for survivors of violent crimes, including human trafficking, to advise and assist the office on matters related to victims of crime.

In August 2024, the Governor announced nearly $15 million in grant funding from the federal VOCA Formula Victim Assistance Grant Program supporting victims of crime in the commonwealth. Since taking office in 2019, the Beshear-Coleman administration has awarded more than $147 million in grant funding to victim service agencies and provided victim services to approximately 314,000 Kentuckians.

In April, the Governor signed into law Senate Bill 319, increasing award amounts, expanding reimbursement categories and adding caregivers to the persons eligible for reimbursement from the Crime Victims Compensation Fund. Effective July 15, the maximum amount for compensation increases from $30,000 to $50,000; lost wages awards are increased from $300 per week to $500 per week; and funeral expense reimbursement is increased from $7,500 to $10,000. In addition to increased award amounts, new categories will be eligible for reimbursement, including relocation services, temporary housing, wellness practices, tattoo removal for victims of human trafficking, crime scene cleanup, repair of windows and locks, reimbursement of items seized as evidence and expenses to attend court proceedings.

At the beginning of the 2023, Gov. Beshear announced that an additional $849,491 in federal grant funding had been awarded to the Kentucky State Police (KSP) to hire a new investigator with the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Investigative Team to focus on investigating and identifying sexual offenders in Jefferson County. The KSP SAKI investigative team was originally formed in July 2021 after the U.S. Department of Justice awarded $1.5 million to the commonwealth to leverage existing investigative resources within the KSP Crime Lab by transitioning three trained investigators and a criminal intelligence analyst from the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General to KSP.

Since taking office, Gov. Beshear has consistently championed reducing and preventing domestic and dating violence and abuse while helping victims and survivors receive the services they need.

In March of last year, Gov. Beshear signed into law House Bill 207, strengthening the language in statute to include other forms of abuse and sexual exploitation of minors.

In June of 2023, Gov. Beshear and Secretary of State Michael Adams celebrated Senate Bill 79 becoming law. The bipartisan effort creates the Safe at Home Program, which will protect the residential addresses of survivors of domestic violence and other sexual crimes as well as the addresses of those who reside in the same household as the victim. To gain this protection, the victim or the individual residing in the victim’s home must apply to the Secretary of State’s office to have the address protected.

During the 2022 General Assembly regular session, the Governor signed Senate Bill 38 into law, which defines Class A and B felony incest as a violent offense, requiring offenders to serve longer sentences for committing this heinous crime. Additionally, he signed Senate Bill 271 into law in April, which will improve the ways in which domestic violence data in Kentucky is collected, analyzed and used. SB 271 ultimately will enhance responses and prevention efforts from agencies including law enforcement, courts and service providers, and better meet the needs of victims and survivors.

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