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Cape Coral: Zero tolerance for human trafficking
NBC2
The Cape Coral City Council passeda zero tolerance policy towards human trafficking Monday evening. Some council leaders say it's a growing problem and unless they start getting the word out and getting your attention, the city could become a haven for the secretive crime.
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http://www.childtrafficking.org/cgi-bin/ct/main.sql?ID=2005&file=view_document.sql
Cape Coral: Zero tolerance for human trafficking
The Cape Coral City Council passeda zero tolerance policy towards human trafficking Monday evening. Some council leaders say it's a growing problem and unless they start getting the word out and getting your attention, the city could become a haven for the secretive crime.
While mowing his lawn, Bob Stice sees a lot of suspicious stuff.
"We live right on the golf course, so I see stuff and report it to them when I see it," said Stice.
It's his watchful eyes Cape Coral leaders are looking for. They want citizens to keep their eyes open for human trafficking, a crime where people are brought to the US to work as slaves.
"People come here from all over the world. You don't know who's living next door. We welcome everyone that moves to the city but we also ask neighbors to know your neighbor. You are your best watchdog," said Mickey Rosado of the Cape Coral City Council.
This type of crime can happen in any community, but many times law enforcement doesn't know about it because it's not reported.
"The citizens are really key to this and in human trafficking it's an even higher emphasis on the fact that citizens have that information," said Corporal Larry King of the Lee County Sheriff's Office.
Police learned about a teenager allegedly kept as a maid and sex slave because of a tip.
"We were really concerned. We don't want to tolerate this, we want to maintain a quality of life. We don't welcome these individuals in our city," said Rosado.
Watchdogs like Stice will stay on the case.
"It's everywhere. We know that, and if people would be concerned, it might eliminate a lot of it," said Stice.
You never know what's behind a closed door or window.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office said you should look for numerous men going in and out of homes without anyone else joining them or coming out with them.
If you notice people being very secretive for instance cracking their doors slightly for every visitor and then someone entering and the door closing quickly behind them. Those could be signs of a brothel with sex slaves inside.