Bradenton, Fla. – The Office of Angelina “Angel” Colonneso, Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, joined the Florida Office of the Attorney General in its fight against human trafficking by becoming members of the 100 Percent Club. A statewide initiative to raise awareness of human trafficking through workforce training.
To be a member of the 100 Percent Club means 100 Percent of Clerk employees completed a virtual training session provided by the Florida Alliance to End Human Trafficking. Through dramatized re-enactments of human trafficking victims and shared stories from human trafficking survivors, employees learned how to recognize the signs of human trafficking.
The training also provided information on reporting suspected human trafficking and what interventions and treatments are available for survivors of human trafficking.
“Florida ranks third highest nationwide in human trafficking,” said Angel Colonneso, Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller of Manatee County. “My office interacts with the public daily, so it was important to me that we participated in this initiative. By providing this training to my staff on how to recognize the signs of human trafficking, we can make a positive impact on the community by potentially saving a life.”
Additionally, the Clerk’s office participates in a public awareness campaign. The office has posters about human trafficking and where to go for more details throughout the building. For further outreach, the Clerk’s office shares the same information online on their Facebook and Twitter pages.
Human trafficking can happen to anyone. The Clerk’s office encourages other offices and businesses to join them in their commitment to end human trafficking in Florida by visiting YoucanStopHT.com to learn more.
About the Clerk’s Office
The Clerk of Circuit Court was established as a public trustee by the Florida Constitution in 1838. The Clerk of the Circuit Court serves as the Clerk of Courts, the Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners, Auditor, Recorder, and Custodian of all County Funds. In Manatee County, the Clerk’s office also administers a local child support enforcement program, violence protection advocacy program, Manatee Teen Court, and the preservation of historical resources through its historical resources department. Located at 1115 Manatee Avenue West in downtown Bradenton, the Courthouse is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Please be sure to visit our website and sign up for our electronic newsletter.