Alabama officers form task force to fight human trafficking

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) – Law enforcers in west Alabama are working to stop human trafficking by forming a new task force.

Tuscaloosa police Capt. Darren Beams is heading up the task force of about two dozen officers from agencies across Tuscaloosa County.

The Tuscaloosa News reports that the West Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force was created among police departments from Tuscaloosa, Northport and the University of Alabama and the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

Beams tells the newspaper that officers in the task force are at the forefront of the fight to stop what has been called a modern form of slavery.

Beams says the Tuscaloosa area is a hot spot for human traffickers, partly because it’s right along a major interstate and because there’s a market for it.

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Information from: The Tuscaloosa News, http://www.tuscaloosanews.com

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