Joint Task Force Will Serve Western Portion Of Virginia; Provide Enforcement, Training And Victim Services
ROANOKE, VIRGINIA - Officials announced this morning the formation of the Western District of Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force, a joint effort spearheaded by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia and the Office of the Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The task force will operate across the entirety of the Western Judicial District with the goal of providing comprehensive support for law enforcement, training and victim services in relation to incidents of human trafficking.
“Human trafficking is an emerging issue in the Western District of Virginia, one that must be met with a comprehensive approach," United States Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy said today. “The establishment of this task force will help law enforcement coordinate efforts to recognize and combat this problem. The group will provide training to law enforcement and other organizations and facilitate investigations and prosecutions of traffickers. It will also connect victims of human trafficking with local service providers. As with other public safety challenges, success in this area requires that we augment our enforcement work with prevention and education."
The Western District of Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force is broken into four distinct regions: Region One covers the Winchester, Staunton and Harrisonburg areas; Region Two covers the Charlottesville and Lynchburg areas, Region Three covers the area of Roanoke and Danville and Region Four covers the Abingdon and Big Stone Gap regions.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
