OMAHA, NE. — Near 120th and Q streets, thirty school buses and a semi-truck drove through west Omaha on the wrong side of the road as part of a new awareness campaign against child sex trafficking.
The campaign, launched by Project Harmony, is in collaboration with Omaha police, the mayor's office, the Douglas County attorney, and 60 other organizations, like Girls Inc.
Candi Jones, CEO of Girls Inc. and a former trafficking victim, said the dramatic display was intentional.
"Look at this very real issue we are facing and how we are putting it right in your face so that we all have to do something about it," Jones said.
Jones said ending child trafficking requires a broad community effort.
"It takes a village, it takes police, it takes the mayor, it takes the government, and it takes all of you to take a stand against something that is truly violating the youth in our community," Jones said.
Dara Delehant, the Douglas County special prosecutor for human trafficking cases, said the campaign is meant to push more people to act.
"This is going on in their neighborhoods. This is going on in their schools and in their workplaces. For people to become more cognizant of that — if you see something, you need to say something," Delehant said.
According to Omaha police, 59 children have been trafficked in Omaha between 2023 and now.
Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said arrests have been made, but the problem runs deeper.
"We have made 71 arrests during this time. This is just a fraction — just a fraction — of the problem here in Omaha," Schmaderer said.
Jones said the community cannot ignore the issue.
"We will not have it here in Omaha, Nebraska," Jones said.
