July 2018 – Page 57 – Welcome to Wyandotte Daily!

New campaign aims to fight human trafficking by cutting demand for prostitution

by Stephen Koranda, Kansas News Service

A new awareness campaign in Kansas is aimed at cutting the demand for prostitution as a way to fight human trafficking.

The campaign involves state agencies and local advocacy groups teaming up to push the Demand an End initiative. It involves education and announcements warning people that buyers of sex face charges.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said Tuesday that the campaign wants to create a culture where buying sex is not acceptable. He said it’s not a victimless crime.

“The money goes somewhere,” he said. “It fuels a marketplace.

“That in turn enables traffickers and exploiters to do to human beings things that are unlawful and wrong.”

Kristy Childs founded the group Veronica’s Voice, based in Kansas City, Kansas, which helps victims of human trafficking. Childs said people might not understand that buyers of sex encompass a wide variety of people, including people from higher-income communities.

“Every time I would go out and speak in a church, any kind of mixed crowd, I know I’m speaking to some buyers,” she said.

An example in the Kansas City area, she said, is that many buyers come from Johnson County, people she hopes the campaign can reach.

“The people that have the disposable income,” Childs said. “They have the choice in the matter.”

Karen Countryman-Roswurm, executive director of the Center for Combating Human Trafficking at Wichita State University, said educational campaigns like this are needed to help shift perceptions. She said it could start with simple changes in how people act.

“It takes men and women saying, ‘Hey, let’s not make a joke about that person and what they’re wearing,’ ” she said.

However, there needs to be more work done to make sure victims of human trafficking aren’t also charged with crimes. By a large margin, she said, people selling sex face more penalties than do buyers of sex.

“The reality is right now there are people losing their lives behind bars even though they were victimized by this crime,” Countryman-Roswurm said.

Kansas has made changes to state law in recent years to help victims of human trafficking fend off criminal charges. Schmidt said they could offer a defense that they aren’t criminally liable because they are victims of human trafficking.

He said more training for attorneys could help put the law to better use.

“I think there’s a great opportunity to make progress,” he said, “by ensuring the tools already available are well used.”

Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for Kansas Public Radio, a partner in the Kansas News Service. Follow him on Twitter @kprkoranda.
Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished at no cost with proper attribution and a link back to the original post.
See more at http://kcur.org/post/new-campaign-aims-fight-human-trafficking-cutting-demand-prostitution

Heat advisory, air quality alert in effect today

A heat advisory is in effect until Friday in Wyandotte County. (National Weather Service graphic)

A heat advisory is in effect for Wyandotte County until 8 p.m. Friday, July 13, according to the National Weather Service.

An orange ozone air quality alert also is in effect today, according to the Mid-America Regional Council.

Today will be sunny and hot, with a high near 97 and a heat index as high as 101, the weather service said.

The heat wave continues until Friday, and temperatures at night will only fall to the mid to upper 70s, providing little relief from the daytime heat, the weather service said.

Residents are advised to stay in air-conditioned rooms as much as possible, reschedule strenuous outdoor activities to morning and night, check on elderly relatives, and be aware of the signs of heat illnesses, according to the weather service.

During an air quality alert today, residents are asked to drive less, and use carpools, public transportation, bike or walk to work. They should avoid putting gasoline in vehicles today, avoid idling vehicles, and combine errands if they have to go out, according to MARC. RideKC bus prices are half-price today, at 75 cents a ride.

Today, according to the weather service, the high will be near 97 with a heat index as high as 101, and a calm wind becoming south southeast 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 77 and a south southeast wind of 5 to 8 mph, according to the weather service.

Thursday, it will be sunny and hot with a high near 98, the weather service said. The heat index will be as high as 104, with a south southeast wind of 5 to 7 mph.

Thursday night, it will be mostly clear with a low of 77 and a south southeast wind of 5 to 8 mph, according to the weather service.

Friday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 96 and a south wind of 5 to 7 mph, the weather service said.

Friday night, skies will be partly cloudy with a low of 77, according to the weather service.

Saturday, expect mostly sunny skies and a high of 95, the weather service said.

Saturday night, it will be partly cloudy with a low of 77, according to the weather service.

Sunday, there is a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms and rain after 1 p.m., with a high near 95, the weather service said.

Sunday night, there is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a low of 75, according to the weather service.

Monday, there is a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a high near 89, the weather service said.

Monday night, the low will be around 72, according to the weather service.

Tuesday, there is a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a high near 88, the weather service said.