Philadelphia is ramping up efforts to combat human trafficking. City council, as part of the fiscal year 2026 budget , is allocating $500,000 to the city's first-ever Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Campaign.

Councilmember Nina Ahmad, who has spearheaded the effort, made the announcement from the Independence Visitor's Center Tuesday morning.

"This campaign will create what Philadelphia needs, a unified, citywide approach," Ahmad said.

Ahmad says that while great work has been done to combat trafficking, it was often done in silos. The effort brings together lawmakers, law enforcement, advocates who have worked in this space for decades and survivors of human trafficking.

Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel says his department already has a human trafficking task force that

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