Special to the PRESS
South Padre Island will host a major gathering of national experts and Texas leaders later this month as they confront one of the state’s most urgent issues: the alarming rise in human trafficking and gender-based violence.
The CCAW Summit: Beyond the Bounds, an extension of the national Conference on Crimes Against Women, will take place at the Courtyard by Marriott South Padre Island beginning Monday, September 22. The summit will focus on the unique challenges faced by coastal cities, resort communities, and rural towns — where victims often experience geographic isolation, transportation barriers, lack of anonymity, and limited access to resources.
This year’s keynote speaker is Joseph Scaramucci, a nationally recognized law enforcement expert on human trafficking who has trained hundreds of agencies across the U.S. and abroad. Scaramucci has conducted investigations resulting in more than 160 trafficking-related arrests and has helped identify nearly 300 victims.
In addition to trafficking, the summit will address issues ranging from domestic violence and sexual abuse to immigration, aquatic homicide, CPS involvement, forensic nursing, and prosecutorial perspectives.
Honored guests at the opening plenary include South Padre Island Police Chief Claudine O’Carroll, Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support CEO Jan Langbein, and Scaramucci, who now serves as Director of Law Enforcement Training and Operations at Skull Games Inc.
According to researchers at the University of Texas School of Social Work, an estimated 313,000 people are being trafficked in Texas at any given time, placing the state second in the nation for trafficking cases.
The CCAW Summit offers professionals from law enforcement, social services, healthcare, and advocacy the opportunity to gain practical strategies, continuing education, and cross-disciplinary collaboration in the fight against gender-based violence.
The Opening Plenary is set for Monday, September 22, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott South Padre Island, located at 6700 Padre Blvd.
For more information on the full agenda or attendance, readers are encouraged to contact the CCAW organizers directly.
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