Fulton County Commission Chairman Rob Pitts on Monday joined with the Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA), Buckhead Life Restaurant Group and members from the Sex Trafficking Task Force to announce their next steps in the fight against sex trafficking. One of the biggest ways to fight the issue is simply increasing awareness, both of the issue and the resources available to victims. As part of that effort, Pitts is revitalizing efforts along these lines.
Metro Atlanta, with its role as a major transportation hub, continues to be one of the country’s worst sex trafficking locations. In June, Pitts announced legislation that would require signage in Fulton County business that details information for victims. Buckhead Life, along with other members of the Georgia Restaurant Association, will be posting the signs in their restaurants. The press conference announcing the new program was held at Chops in Buckhead, one of Buckhead Life’s restaurants.
As Karen Bremer of the Georgia Restaurant Association noted, restaurants are a kind of life-blood of the community and their involvement offers added awareness and watchful eyes. There are more than 18,000 restaurants in the state of Georgia, employing some 475,000 people. The GRA will be asking its members to voluntarily post the signs in their businesses. The signs are already required in a number of establishments – such as bars, night clubs, strip clubs or truck stops – but they have not been required in restaurants as of yet.
Bremer said the GRA wants to do their part. “We want to do our part in making sure individuals know there’s help. Even if it just protects one person, we’ve done something good for the community.”
Pitts sent a letter to the commissioner of the department of public health a couple weeks ago urging them to expand the role of health inspectors to include checking for the signage. “If it is not in place, I would ask that the inspector note the absence of the signage on their report and forward the final report to the appropriate police department or law enforcement agency,” said the letter. Pitts also attached a copy of the resolution passed by the Board of Commissioners urging the Fulton County Board of Health to determine whether facilities are in compliance with the law.
“Sex trafficking is an issue that continues to place vulnerable lives at risk, including right here in Georgia. I am especially saddened that women, me, girls and boys in Fulton County continue to be victimized through this horrific practice. If even one victim of sex trafficking is able to access assistance through these signs, surely this effort would be a worthwhile use of the environmental health inspectors’ time,” said Pitts.
As a member of the Task Force said at the press conference today, the unique thing about sex trafficking that makes it particularly awful is the economics of it. “You can sell a gun once or twice. Drugs can be sold once. A human being can be sold hundreds of times.”
