Coastal Region Human Trafficking Task Force releases new app to aid with reporting, response times
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — The regional arm of South Carolina’s Human Trafficking Task Force has released a new app that officials hope will make it easier for people to report potential crimes.
It went live about a month ago and is already proving its worth.
“We go and speak to a lot of groups and every time we go and speak to a group, they like ‘what can we do?’ or ‘I saw this’ and normally they’re calling an 800 number and their going through that system to get a tip in”, said Ron Harrison, a member of the Coastal Region Human Trafficking Task Force.
There are different features on the app including where you can learn about the different types of trafficking and some of the signs to look for.
“We wanted to give them a tool they would have in their hand, everyone carries a phone, it’ll give them the ability to take photographs, report what you see and then we get it immediately,” Harrison said.
In 2023, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division reported 357 open cases that included nearly 500 potential victims, mostly minors who were sex trafficked, the attorney general’s office said.
SLED’s data also showed that human trafficking cases were opened in 40 counties, with only six counties not reporting any cases, according to the attorney general’s office.
The counties with the most cases in 2023 were Richland County with 43, Greenville County with 34, Aiken and Horry County with 24, Berkeley County with 23, Charleston, Spartanburg, and Lexington with 21, Dorchester County with 18 and York County with 13.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline data showed two counties tied for the most incidents reported to the hotline, the attorney general’s office said.
Greenville and Horry ranked number one, Charleston County was second place followed by Richland and Spartanburg for third. Aiken ranked fourth and Lexington and Orangeburg Counties tied for fifth place.
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Reports that are logged by the app will be sent directly to law enforcement agencies.
Coastal Region Task Force chairwoman Sherri Smith said the direct communication should make it easier for authorities to respond.
“It’ll help us keep track of them better and better follow up on them and a little more quicker, so if it’s not something that people think ,’oh I shouldn’t call 9-1-1, it’s not like that I’m not sure what it is,’ this is a good way to submit the tip and let us look at it and follow up with it,” Smith said.
Smith says they want people to be educated on the topic and know as much as they can so that it does not happen to them.
“So that’s kind of our biggest mission, as far as the task force goes, is to get that message out there and talk to as many people as we can to educate our two counties and citizens because we want that message out there,” she said. “And of course on the law enforcement side we want to find the people that are doing that, you know, so it kind of comes together.”
The app is available on all devices.
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Hannah Huffstickler is a multimedia journalist at News13. She joined the News13 team in January 2024 after graduating from Coastal Carolina University in December of 2023. Keep up with Hannah on Facebook and Instagram. You can also read more of her work here.
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