What are the signs of human trafficking? Coral Gables wants to teach you
Coral Gables is preparing to ramp up efforts to teach people how to identify potential victims of sex trafficking.
Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously voted in support of Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson’s resolution to direct City Manager Peter Iglesias to conduct public awareness and educational programs about the dangers and signs of sex trafficking as the city prepares for a year of crowd-drawing events in South Florida, including the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“See Something, Say Something is an easy way to say to report things in but if you don’t know what you’re looking at, and if you don’t realize that it’s an issue, then you’re not going to be able to report it in,” Anderson said. “One of our best tools are all the residents that we have in preventing crime and stopping crime.”
The vote, made during the commission’s first meeting in the city’s public safety building as the historic City Hall prepares to undergo renovations, comes after commissioners held a nearly two-hour discussion last month on Commissioner Melissa Castro’s own efforts to combat human trafficking.
Castro wants to expand specialized anti-human trafficking training for the city’s firefighters and EMS personnel. On Feb. 24, commissioners opted to delay a vote on her proposal to give her more time to work on the proposal and get input from police, fire and the Miami-Dade State Attorney Office.
On Tuesday, Castro said she’s still working on the training proposal. But Coral Gables Police Chief Ed Hudack updated commissioners on the city’s plans following an inquiry by Commissioner Richard Lara. The police chief said he secured hands-on anti-human trafficking training later this month for fire rescue with the office of Miami-Dade County’s State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle.
Hudak, along with Lara and Mayor Vince Lago, also indicated that they would prefer to rely on Fernandez Rundle’s office instead of the local group Castro tapped for future trainings after learning that the nonprofit was also asking the state attorney’s office for the same training Gables police wanted. A frustrated Castro stated that she didn’t care who did the training as long as it was specialized and hands-on.
Fernandez Rundle’s office has long run an anti-human trafficking task force that the Gables is a part of and is in the process of expanding enforcement efforts after Miami-Dade was recently given more than $1 million in state funding to combat human trafficking.
Florida is ranked No. 3 nationwide for human trafficking cases by the National Human Trafficking Hotline, behind California and Texas.
Other awareness efforts residents and visitors may see across the city in the coming months include:
Fliers listing call, text and scan options to contact the state attorney’s office for help, along with potential signs of human trafficking, that will be put around hotels and restaurants. Social media and newsletter campaigns. Presentations and events that will be held at the city’s Farmer Market, and with city groups and clubs, are also part of the plans. The city is also expected to ramp up promotion of the SaferWatch app, which is free to use and gives people the ability to report crimes, suspicious activity, and submit tips, photos and video directly to police.
“If the hair on the back of your neck stands up, call us,” Hudak said. “We’ll decide whether it’s real or if it’s perceived.”
If you are a victim of human trafficking or know someone who is, call the Miami-Dade State Attorney Office hotline at 305-349-7867.
