REPORT: All Town of Paradise Valley employees earn CEASE designation
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
The Arizona Anti-Trafficking Network is proud to announce the Town of Paradise Valley has received it Cities Empowered Against Sexual Exploitation (CEASE) designation.
Every employee of the Town of Paradise Valley has completed the training, making it the first municipality to train 100% of their workforce about sexual exploitation and trafficking.
“We all have a role to play combating human trafficking and exploitation, and I’m proud that the Town of Paradise Valley is training its employees through the CEASE program,” said Paradise Valley Mayor Jerry Bien-Willner, in a prepared statement. “We are committed to creating an even safer community for everyone – free from cruel and inhuman practices that we must work to stop in Arizona and across the country.”
CEASE, a program under the umbrella of the Arizona Anti-Trafficking Network, is dedicated to educating cities across Arizona with essential tools and resources to effectively combat sexual exploitation, according to a press release.
In order to receive this designation, over 75% of municipal employees must successfully complete comprehensive training and commit to ongoing, updated training on an annual basis. This designation recognizes The Town of Paradise Valley’s commitment to fostering a safer and more secure environment for all its residents, aligning with our shared vision of an Arizona where no one is bought, sold, or exploited, the release states.
The CEASE program is specifically crafted to educate employees on how to identify, report, and prevent human trafficking from occurring.
“The Arizona Anti-Trafficking Network provides very important services and programs to educate the community and fight against sexual exploitation and trafficking,” said Paradise Valley Vice Mayor Mark Stanton. “We are very proud that the Town of Paradise Valley has received this designation and that every town employee has completed the training to help address these issues.”
Town of Paradise Valley looks to CEASE human trafficking
By learning the indicators, town officers and employees have been empowered to identify potential cases of human trafficking across a spectrum of calls for service, highlighting the impact of their training.
This knowledge allows those trained to effectively recognize, respond, and assist victims and send the message that commercial sexual exploitation will not be tolerated.
“AATN applauds the Town of Paradise Valley for earning their CEASE designation. As the first municipality to fully train 100% of its staff, it’s a milestone achievement in the fight against human trafficking here in Arizona,” stated John Meza, president, and board chair of AATN. “The town’s commitment to training and awareness sets an example for others.”
AATN encourages other municipalities to join the fight against human trafficking by implementing the CEASE initiative in their respective communities.
To date, the CEASE program has trained over 7,600 municipal employees statewide.
