NEWPORT, Vt. (WCAX) – A community forum on public safety and human trafficking takes place in Newport on Wednesday night.
Newport Mayor Linda Sullivan and Orleans County State’s Attorney Farzana Leyva are hosting the panel that will help attendees recognize the signs of trafficking and what they can do to stop it.
It comes after state lawmakers in recent years have passed laws dealing with human trafficking. But Mayor Sullivan says the the state should go even further, and that Newport’s proximity to highways and the Canadian border poses unique challenges.
“We have homes that say they are vacant or rented and they’re the byproducts of drugs and human trafficking. It’s organized crime. How do we deal with organized crime at the small city level,” Sullivan said.
It’s one of several forums the city is hosting. Others include climate change, clean water and PFAS, and economic development.
Wednesday’s meeting kicks takes place at 6 p.m. at the Gateway Center.