Michigan organization brings human trafficking awareness to the sunrise side

“They had injected her right in birch run mall. And she said ‘bull crap, that’s my daughter, I’m calling 911.'”

Community members shared their questions and concerns at Saturday’s seminar, reinforcing the harsh reality that human trafficking is real and affects even the most oblivious communities.

Co–chair of Human Trafficking Community Group, Becky Schirrick, says that’s part of what makes the crime so scary.

“It can take place anywhere. People are under the misnomer this is a big city or an urban issue, and actually, victims can be from all walks of life and from any socio–economic statue of any region in Michigan.

Schirrick brought in experts from christian–based Night Angels anti–human trafficking organization to explain that what we assume about trafficking isn’t always accurate.

“I was there at one time in my life as well. I thought I was a very smart guy, I thought I was very well read, I was on top of the news and understood the problems in the world. I did not understand this problem. And we need to teach people so they can rise up in righteous indignation to this problem and to this issue and once they get educated, once they understand the problem, how it occurs, where it occurs, when it occurs, and the fact that we’re all vulnerable to it in some way, shape, or form, that people need to rise up, the church needs, to rise up, to deal with this problem.”

If nothing else, Baggett wants to leave community members with this message.

“It’s time to wake up. Don’t think because of where you live or the socio–economic background or strata that you live in that you’re oblivious to it. You can’t do enough to protect your children, you can’t do enough to protect yourself to some degree. And you need to be wise, and you need to be educated, because if you can help yourself, you can help others.

Lauren Mixon, WBKB News.