Human Exploitation & Trafficking (H.E.A.T.) Watch Community Initiatives Program

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2015

H.E.A.T. Watch Community Initiatives Program (“Program”), developed by Alameda County District Attorney, Nancy O’Malley, engages both the public and victims in an effort to combat child sex trafficking through multi-media communication strategies, innovative technologies, and educational tools. The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office stands at the forefront of the fight to stop human exploitation. Through ground-breaking prevention and intervention, H.E.A.T. (Human Exploitation And Trafficking) Watch is a comprehensive five-point strategy aimed at ending the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC). The Community Initiatives Program, one of the five points, serves to educate and engage the public as well as reach and save victims. The Program brings citizens together to prevent children from being sold for sex through public awareness, including billboard campaigns, a radio show, a graphic novel series, and an innovative mobile app. These engagement efforts seek to reshape the way the community views sexually exploited minors—as victims and not offenders¬—and provide pathways to safety for victims who are currently in “the life.”