RIVERSIDE COUNTY: Volunteers raise awareness about human trafficking

RIVERSIDE COUNTY: Volunteers raise awareness about human trafficking

Volunteer Marjorie Saylor, 32, puts up a poster about human trafficking at Del Lago Market in Lake Elsinore as part of a countywide "Day of Action" against human trafficking on Jan. 17, 2015.

FRANK BELLINO, FRANK BELLINO, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

If you or someone you know is being forced to engage in any activity and can't leave whether it's commercial sex, housework, farmwork, construction, factory, retail or restaurant work, or some other activity there are numbers to call for help.

National Human Trafficking Resource Center: 1-888-373-7888

California Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking: 1-888-539-2373

Volunteers fanned out across Riverside County Saturday to spread awareness about human trafficking and help businesses comply with a law to help victims.

Though the law has not yet been enforced in Riverside County, since April 2013 California has required certain types of businesses to post notices informing the public and potential victims of human trafficking and slavery about telephone hotlines where they can seek help or report suspicious activity.

I dont think a lot of people are even aware of it, sheriffs Lt. Paul Bennett, who oversees the Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, said of the law.

The businesses affected include massage parlors, farm labor contractors, transit stations, sexually oriented businesses, liquor stores, emergency rooms and privately operated job recruitment centers.

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RIVERSIDE COUNTY: Volunteers raise awareness about human trafficking