The Orange County district attorney is taking steps to inform people of what continues to be a worldwide problem: human trafficking.
DA David Hoovler announced the Anti-Trafficking Campaign in Orange County Wednesday morning.
The DA explained how victims are forced into services, and that traffickers may retaliate with threats or violence if they don't get what they want.
In 2018, nearly 500 cases of human trafficking were reported in New York state, and the DA says it can happen right in front of our eyes.
"People need to be able to recognize that there are signs of human trafficking that happen in plain sight. And again, I keep saying it's happening here in OC, and in the Hudson Valley," said Hoovler (R).
"Traffickers take advantage of vulnerable people, and it's important that we work together to identify our at-risk and vulnerable population," said Kellyann Kostyal-Larrier, executive director of "Fearless!"
The campaign will be distributing brochures and posters to local areas, like hotels, so people can recognize possible trafficking situations.