The Bucks County Commissioners have proclaimed January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
The proclamation was presented earlier this month and matches a national recognition.
Jamie Pfister, training coordinator with NOVA (Network of Victim Assistance), and Danielle DiUlio, NOVA’s human trafficking victim advocate, are part of the the Bucks County Coalition Against Human Trafficking (BCAT) and recently highlighted the coalition’s work in educating the community and advocating for survivors.
“In 2024, BCAT educated 700 participants in nearly 30 community engagements that involves community public events but also professional trainings,” Pfister said.
A key focus of BCAT’s efforts has been outreach to hotels and motels within the county.
According to national data, 75 percent of all survivors have had some interaction at a hotel or motel.
“One of BCAT’s goal every year is to educate and do community outreach for hotels and motels within the county,” Pfister explained.
In 2024, the coalition provided outreach to over 16 motels and hotels in Lower Bucks County.
DiUlio noted the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in addressing human trafficking. She noted that through collaboration with Bucks County Children and Youth, law enforcement, and the Bucks County Children’s Advocacy Centre, NOVA conducted 18 Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) assessments in 2024.
“Two of these assessments resulting in investigations with law enforcement and one pending prosecution currently,” DiUlio said.
Human trafficking victims have been recovered through operations in Falls and Bristol townships, DiUlio said.
The coalition has also focused on training medical providers, who are uniquely positioned to interact with survivors while they are being trafficked.
BCAT has provided trainings for Bucks County Community College, Holy Family University, Penco Technical School, and emergency rooms, officials said.
Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia commended the work of the district attorney’s office, attorneys, detectives, and health inspectors in conducting sanitation inspections of massage parlors following the passage of a massage parlor ordinance in 2022.
NOVA will host a panel on combatting human trafficking on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 6 p.m. at Bucks County Community College’s Epstein Campus on Veterans Highway in Bristol Township.
The panel will feature Chief Deputy Pennsylvania Attorney General Heather Castellino, Falls Township police Chief Nelson Whitney, Lt. Chris Clark, NOVA Human Trafficking Victim Advocate DiUlio, Deputy Bucks County District Attorney Kristen McElroy, and a human trafficking survivor.
Advertisement
Convenient Legal Access to High Quality Cannabis Just A Few Minutes Away!
