Dallas County declares January human‑trafficking prevention month, honors Traffic 911 as Champion of Freedom

The Dallas County Commissioners Court on Jan. 7 adopted a resolution recognizing January as Human Trafficking Prevention Month and Jan. 11 as Human Trafficking Awareness Day, and presented Traffic 911 with the North Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking’s Champion of Freedom award.

The resolution, introduced by Commissioner Elba Garcia, recognized local and regional anti‑trafficking efforts and listed a range of providers and county programs that work with victims, including Dallas CASA, the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center and Trafficking 911. The court approved the resolution by voice vote; the motion carried with the chair in the affirmative.

Chad Fraumier of Dallas CASA (he identified himself as director of public policy in the presentation) introduced the award recipient and noted the North Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking represents more than 50 agencies. Fraumier said Traffic 911 serves nearly 400 survivors and families annually, trains tens of thousands, and provides a 24/7 crisis‑response program launched with state funding.

Sergeant Kristen Alvarado of the Dallas Police Department’s child‑abuse/high‑risk victim squad and Iris Burch, CEO of the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, both praised Traffic 911’s partnership with law enforcement and rapid‑response advocacy for child victims. Burch said the organization’s outreach — even small gestures like food and backpacks at crisis response visits — helps break down barriers survivors face.

Traffic 911’s leader accepted the Champion of Freedom award and credited partnerships with law enforcement, the advocacy community, and state funding for the Voice & Choice program begun in 2017.

Provenance: The resolution text and award presentation were read and discussed in court; Commissioners voted to adopt the resolution during the Jan. 7 meeting.