NASHVILLE – A multi-agency operation was recently launched, with the purpose of locating and assessing more than two dozen at-risk children who have been identified as missing in the Davidson County area, to ensure they are getting the treatment and services they need. Operation Safe and Sound identified children who are considered to be at-risk based on multiple criteria, such as having a history as a chronic runaway for extended periods of time, or being a previous victim of human trafficking.
Over a two-day period, dozens of representatives from government agencies and nonprofit organizations worked toward making contact with those children identified as being at-risk, to ensure their safety and assess their status. The agencies providing the support include 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. Other non-government organizations, End Slavery Tennessee, Epic Girl, and Free for Life International, joined in the work of this operation.
The multi-disciplinary approach of the operation is intended to locate these missing children and establish contact, and to remove them from any situation in which they may be exploited. The focus was also to provide them services and contacts that will have an active presence in their lives, and to make sure they have access to a safe environment. In coming weeks, agencies will continue the efforts to locate those children who were not found during this past operation, and continue contact with those who were recovered.
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