Tarrant County commissioners unanimously approved the Budget and Risk Management Department’s request to submit two grants and resolution applications for the Criminal Justice Division.
During the Feb. 7 meeting, the criminal district attorney’s office submitted two grant applications totaling $896,000 to start a Human Trafficking Unit and fund positions for the Victim Services Unit.
The Criminal District Attorney's office requested $496,567.92 to create the Human Trafficking Unit. The unit will use the funding to establish four positions: chief prosecutor, investigator, victim advocate and support staff.
The grant seeks to help survivors of human trafficking and to utilize “the county-coordinated trauma-based team approach,” according to the court documents.
The Tarrant County Sheriff's Office was among many regional law enforcements agencies that took part in a human trafficking sex sting bust that led to the arrest of 46 individuals in locations in Frisco and Southlake—at the Hilton Dallas/Southlake Town Square hotel—in January.
Another grant of $380,595.32 was requested for continued funding of three victim advocate positions in the Victim Services Unit of the criminal district attorney’s office under new District Attorney Phil Sorrels.
The positions were added to the unit in 2017 to ensure high-risk victims of intimate partner violence received more comprehensive victim services, according to the court communication.
Both grant requests now await submission to the office of the governor for approval.
