Attorney General Alan Wilson announces relaunch of Catawba Area Regional Human Trafficking Task Force

(ROCK HILL, S.C.) - Attorney General Alan Wilson announces the relaunch of the Catawba Area Regional Human Trafficking Task Force, part of the South Carolina Human Trafficking Task Force. The new regional task force met at the Rock Hill Police Department, where new leadership was announced.

Detective Brandon Avidon with the Rock Hill Police Department and Lisa Glazebrook, Coordinator of the Child Advocacy Center at Safe Passage, are the new co-chairs of the regional task force. The co-chairs will coordinate anti-human trafficking efforts in Chester, Fairfield, Lancaster, Union, and York counties. State Task Force leadership, law enforcement, healthcare, members from the Catawba Nation, and other state agency representatives were present for the announcement.

“I am pleased to hear about the relaunch of the Catawba Area Regional Human Trafficking Task Force,” Chief Chris Watts from the Rock Hill Police Department stated. “Human trafficking is an important issue that needs to be addressed and the best way to accomplish this is through cooperative efforts with the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, area law enforcement agencies, and community partners.”

The South Carolina Human Trafficking Task Force, under the leadership of the South Carolina Office of the Attorney General, supports regional efforts across the state to prevent the crime, coordinate responses to cases, support victims, and prosecute offenders. The Catawba Area Regional Human Trafficking Task Force is supported by Mandy Bowden, State Task Force Program Coordinator for the Midlands.

“The Task Force is thrilled to have a high level of stakeholder interest in the Catawba area,” Bowden stated. “There are numerous organizations and community advocates willing to join together to combat human trafficking, and we look forward to fostering that collaboration.”

For more information about the Catawba Regional Human Trafficking Task Force, contact Mandy Bowden at [email protected].

For information about the SC Human Trafficking Task Force, visit humantrafficking.scag.gov.

To report Human Trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-3737-888 or text HELP to 233733. In case of an emergency, please call 911.