By Keith Brown
I joined my colleagues in the Assembly Minority Conference to unveil the 2025 New York State Assembly Minority Conference Human Trafficking Task Force Report. This Task Force, led by Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay (R,C-Pulaski) and co-chairs Assemblyman Brian Maher (R,C-Walden) and Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh (R,C-Ballston), aims to address supportive housing issues, improve victims’ services, strengthen criminal laws to hold traffickers accountable and increase training and awareness for professionals, students and the public.
In 2024, the Task Force spoke with nearly 200 individuals, including trafficking survivors, law enforcement, prosecutors, social workers, educators and other anti-trafficking advocates. Their input allowed the task force to develop an informative report and numerous recommendations for new proposals in the state Legislature.
Unveiling the 2025 New York State Assembly Minority Conference Human Trafficking Task Force Report is a great step forward to help combat human trafficking statewide. I was very proud to see one of my proposals, A.4244, featured in the task force report. A.4244 would allow individuals to be remanded into custody for drug treatment where there is a substantial risk of continued substance abuse and the likelihood of causing serious harm to themselves.
The rise of social media and internet use among young people has greatly increased the risk of younger individuals being groomed or taken advantage of online, creating more opportunities for sex trafficking. The rise of online dating apps has greatly increased the risk of app users potentially meeting up with a stranger who could take advantage of them. In this day and age, we must be vigilant, raise awareness of human trafficking and hold traffickers accountable to keep New Yorkers safe.
Assemblyman Keith P. Brown represents the 12th Assembly District, which includes parts of Suffolk County, encompassing the vibrant towns of Huntington, Babylon and Islip.