JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — As one of the largest human trafficking cities in Florida, the City of Jacksonville is working towards a zero-tolerance policy.
Tommy Hazouri, Jacksonville city council member at-large, group 3, held a public meeting on Monday to discuss the city’s role with ending human trafficking in Jacksonville. In attendance were the Northeast Florida Human Trafficking Coalition and several related community leaders who help survivors.
However, one voice in particular made a lasting impression at the meeting. Jamie Rosseland is a survivor of human trafficking and now mentors others with the Delores Barr Weaver Police Center in Jacksonville.
“I think something that’s really important and something that’s been on the rise in Jacksonville is survivor voice, and making policies and including it on what service provisions are going to look like,” Rosseland said.
"This is not something that’s invisible. This is something people have been labeling and there’s a lot of stigma around. "
— Elizabeth Pace (@PaceAnJax) December 9, 2019
A powerful message from a local survivor of human trafficking. What she says will save others NEXT at 5 on @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/IvhzuIGNR8
She works with other women who were rescued from human trafficking. In her role, she meets them within the first few critical hours to help them with resources. She said public awareness and community helped in her recovery.
“That was the most encouraging thing, was to know I wasn’t alone, that this wasn’t an isolated incident, that there had been people who’d been through this,” Rosseland said. “And there were people who went through this who had PhDs, who had law degrees.”
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Jacksonville is the third largest city in Florida for human trafficking. A JSO lieutenant in the meeting said the city’s major highway created a hub, expected to grow. In 2019, 19 victims were rescued, four were minors.
Organization leaders asked the city for funding to provide more emergency services, transitional housing, and healthcare to keep survivors out of human trafficking.
“I think what we’ll see out of this is a list of things we can commit to,” Hazouri said. “If it requires legislation on the part of the city council, we will do it.”
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