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Moore County proclaims January 2026 Human Trafficking Awareness Month
Summary
The board adopted a proclamation naming January 2026 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month and encouraged countywide awareness activities, including wearing blue on Jan. 11. Presenters said local arrests and online exploitation rates show the need for prevention and professional training.
Rich Cowell and community partners briefed the Moore County Board of Commissioners on the county’s anti‑trafficking effort and asked the board to adopt a proclamation designating January 2026 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Cowell cited a recent local event that drew 183 residents and said local enforcement had made multiple arrests connected to online exploitation.
“We have 9 arrests this year for the exploitation of a minor over the internet,” Cowell said, describing arrests across several towns in the county. He urged commissioners to promote a two‑year program of public events and professional training, noting that ‘‘all of our youth are carrying a predator in their pocket. It’s called a cell phone.’’
Commissioners adopted the proclamation and presented it to Cowell. The proclamation calls for increased public education and encourages residents to wear blue on Jan. 11, 2026, to increase awareness. The board’s action was a formal proclamation; no additional county funding was approved at the Nov. 4 meeting.
