Prince George's County Human Trafficking Task Force

Chair
Michael Lyles, Executive Director, Prince George’s County Human Relations Commission
Contact Michael Lyles

Vice Chair
The Honorable Karen R. Toles, Prince George’s County Council

TASK FORCE ELIGIBILITY:

  • county agencies
  • nonprofit organizations working with victims
  • citizen experts
  • federal and statewide organizations (government and nongovernment)

Monthly meetings are held the 4th Tuesday of every month (except August).

The County Task Force is an implementing Task Force comprised of more than 50 county government agencies, nonprofits, and individual experts who are brought together pursuant to CR-74-2013 to combat human trafficking within Prince George’s County by educating the public and training first responders, providing needed services to victims and survivors, and increasing state and federal prosecution of traffickers.

GOALS FOR 2015:

  • secure federal, state or local funding for Task Force operations;

  • secure a facility to provide crisis services to victims and survivors and to serve as a base of operations for all Task Force activities and training

  • produce an awareness campaign focused on young people

  • Complete the MCAC data collection study on human trafficking in the County

  • broaden first responder training to health care professionals

2014 Legislation passed by the county Council:

  • CB-079-2014: An Act concerning Human Trafficking – Lodging Establishments – Room Rental for the purpose of prohibiting lodging establishments from renting rooms by the hour; and generally relating to lodging establishment regulation in the County.

  • CB-080-2014: An Act concerning Human Trafficking – Lodging Establishment – Employee Training for the purpose of requiring lodging establishments to provide certain employee training; requiring lodging establishments to perform annual employee  training certification; and generally relating to lodging establishment regulation in the County.

  • CB-081-2014: An Act concerning massage establishment licensing for the purpose of amending the County Code provisions for licensing of massage establishments, operators, managers and technicians to require certain information and generally related to licensing of massage establishments.

2014 SPECIAL PROJECTS:

  • Teen and College Student PSA Contest, with monetary awards given for first, second and third place winners. The winning entry at the High School level and the winning entry at the College level will be deployed as part of the Awareness Campaign.

  • Continue to study the viability of a victim crisis center

  • Training for District Court Judges

  • Reid Temple Baptist Church Human Trafficking Symposium -- September 20, 2014