NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is launching a new multi-agency operation to support children at risk of human trafficking.
TBI announced Operation Safe and Sound focuses on locating and assessing more than 24 at-risk children who have been identified as missing in the Davidson County area. It will ensure they are getting the treatment and services they need.
Criteria for identified children include having a history of running away for extended periods or being a previous victim of human trafficking.
TBI officials said a goal for the operation is to locate these missing children, establish contact and remove them from any situation in which they may be exploited.
"Since the formation of the Special Victims Division Human Trafficking Section a little over a year ago, we have seen over and over that our children are the most vulnerable part of our communities for being trafficked," said Greg Davis, the Metro Nashville Police Department Captain. "We want to encourage as many people as possible to learn the key indicators and signs of human trafficking to make our communities safer from this crime."
Agencies providing support include the Metro Nashville Police Department Human Trafficking Unit, Metro Youth Services, Metro Juvenile Courts, TBI Human Trafficking Task Force, Department of Children's Services, FBI, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
Non-government organizations that provide support include End Slavery Tennessee, Epic Girl and Free for Life International.
"The TBI motto is 'That guilt shall not escape, nor innocence suffer,' and who is more innocent than these children who are lost or at-risk?" said David Rausch, the TBI Director. "The intent of this mission is to have an impactful effect on the children who are most at risk of falling through the cracks."
TBI said Operation Safe and Sound is a pilot program, and similar plans are being considered for other areas of the state.