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Miami-Dade County Commissioner, Danielle Cohen Higgins, Florida Power & Light (FPL) Sr. Director of External Affairs, Irene White and, Miami-Dade Police Director (MDPD) Freddy Ramirez announced the start of a first-of-its-kind, public-private partnership to train FPL workers to identify and report signs of human trafficking.
County Commissioner Cohen Higgins said, “Human trafficking is a serious crime, especially in South Dade, that all too often goes unreported. With this new public private partnership, we will have thousands of newly trained eyes on the road and in the air, via buckets, to help detect and report cases of human trafficking.”
Initiated by County Commissioner Cohen Higgins, this historic and unique partnership marks the first time that the Miami-Dade Police Department has partnered with a private utility company to extend their reach and ability to report crimes. The hope of this program is to support and build on the years of work our tireless State Attorney and other partner organizations have done to eradicate this problem in Miami-Dade County.
A public service announcement was created by the Office of County Commissioner Commissioner Cohen Higgins. Click here to access it.
FPL’s employees, including personnel who work in the field restoring power, installing or repairing equipment and interacting with customers in their homes or businesses will receive training to help identify and report signs of human trafficking to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. FPL has also expanded its training to all employees through its online learning system to help them recognize possible human trafficking and protect themselves, their families, and the communities they serve.
“At Florida Power & Light Company, we work with the communities we serve to make Florida a better place to live, work and raise a family, and that includes working closely with partners like Commissioner Cohen Higgins and the Miami-Dade Police Department to help increase the reporting of human trafficking,” said Irene White, FPL senior director of External Affairs for Miami-Dade County. “Our employees are out in our communities every day, and thanks to the training our corporate security team and the police department worked together to develop, they will now have the knowledge and tools to identify and report human trafficking to law enforcement, and help eradicate these crimes against those most vulnerable.”
“The excellent work of the Miami-Dade Police Department’s Human Trafficking Squad is attributed to the solid partnerships we’ve established with our community and engaged stakeholders, to include the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office,” said Director Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez. “This innovative partnership is a first for our agency and will positively expand our efforts to protect the vulnerable. We welcome more eyes and ears, and FPL services millions of residents, making this a unique opportunity. We are fortunate for the leadership of Commissioner Cohen Higgins and with the support of FPL, we hope to save the lives of countless victims of this horrible crime.”
