Assemblyman Anil Beephan, Jr. (R,C-East Fishkill) joined his fellow Minority legislators in Albany today to advocate for enhancements to existing sex trafficking laws and further protections for those who are at risk of being exploited. A staunch advocate for domestic violence victims and survivors, Beephan eagerly joined the chorus of legislators, criminal justice professionals and other advocates in demanding that New York do more.

“The harsh reality of our world is that even in a secure country like ours, thousands of women and children have fallen victim to cycles of abuse and had their autonomy stripped through trafficking,” Beephan said.

According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, 15,001 communications have been intercepted or reported relating to human trafficking crimes since its inception in 2007 in New York alone. They’ve also identified 4,502 verified cases in that time and 9,091 victims were identified in those cases.

“I don’t believe there’s an elected official in this state who doesn’t want to fight human trafficking efforts. To do that, we need to treat it seriously, update the public periodically and practice both government and real-world vigilance on the issue. I’m committed to partnering with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to deliver the tools needed to fight this crisis and make New York safer for everyone,” Beephan concluded.