City of Bend issues proclamation recognizing January as Human Trafficking Prevention Month
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Bend City Council recognized Human Trafficking Prevention Month at Wednesday night's meeting, signing a proclamation that calls attention to an issue that can impact any community, including Central Oregon.
City Councilor Mike Riley said trafficking doesn’t just happen elsewhere — it’s a problem that reaches communities across Oregon and the country.
“Trafficking really shows up everywhere, and it's in most, if not many, many, if not most communities across Oregon and even in the country. And so it's really something we all need to pay attention to,” Riley said.
Human trafficking is often described as a form of modern-day slavery — when someone is exploited for labor or commercial sex through force, fraud, or coercion. Experts say traffickers most often target vulnerable people, particularly between the ages of 12 and 17.
Masayo Halpin with In Our Backyard, a Bend-based nonprofit working to end human trafficking, said it rarely looks like the abduction scenarios people might imagine.
“When you're talking about sex in our youth, it's so—I think a lot of people think it's an abduction. It's, you know, the van that comes up and grabs a kid. That's not sex trafficking in the United States. It's manipulation,” Halpin said.
In Our Backyard works with Central Oregon students and community members to help them recognize the warning signs. In 2025, the organization educated more than 1,100 local high school students on how to identify trafficking and protect themselves or others.
Sharon Brown, the Portland Hub Leader for In Our Backyard, said traffickers prey on vulnerabilities, often using online platforms to find potential victims.
“So they traffic what people's unmet wants and needs are. And they scour social media to figure out what that might look like,” Brown said.
The nonprofit will also be part of outreach efforts during Super Bowl 60 in Santa Clara, California, next month, partnering with local law enforcement and other agencies to raise awareness and help identify victims during one of the nation’s largest events.
The city’s proclamation also recognized several local organizations that work to combat trafficking, including In Our Backyard, Soroptimist International of Bend, and the Anti-Trafficking Project.
Anyone seeking help or more information can reach the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or contact In Our Backyard locally at (541) 639-5008 or inourbackyard.org.
