Can you see me? Billboards designed to help victims and raise awareness about human trafficking

HOUSTON - January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month and the topic of our FOX 26 in Focus series- People for Sale. Thursday in Kemah, Galveston County unveiled one of several billboards that are part of an anti-human trafficking campaign called "Can You See Me? City officials hope the billboards will encourage the public to report suspicious behavior to the hotline number.

Lee Vela, Vice President of Public Affairs at Clear Channel Outdoor explained, "This campaign is designed to reach victims of human trafficking to offer help, and to bring awareness of the issue, so each of us can recognize what's happening in our own backyard and can do something to help stop it.."

A21 is the nonprofit organization backing the Can You See Me campaign. Their website informs us that human trafficking is the fastest-growing global crime, affecting every continent and economic structure in the world. It is happening in industries that we interact with on a daily basis. The purpose of Can You See ME? is to equip the general public to recognize indicators of human trafficking, and report suspected scenarios. An increase in reports will lead to an increase in victim identification.

If you or someone you know suspects human trafficking activity, you can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888-373-7888

or the Center for the Exploited or Missing 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678)