CEASE Arizona
Cities Empowered Against Sexual Exploitation
CEASE Arizona is a statewide initiative that equips county, city, and town employees to recognize, report, and respond to human trafficking.
Through training and education, CEASE helps local governments strengthen prevention, improve victim identification, and build effective reporting practices in their communities.
Why CEASE Matters
Human trafficking is more than a criminal justice issue. It is a community issue that impacts public safety, public health, and the well-being of every Arizona community.
Local government employees are often in a unique position to recognize the signs of trafficking through their everyday work. Whether responding to a service call, conducting an inspection, issuing permits, working in parks, libraries, code enforcement, public works, or other municipal services, employees may encounter victims long before they are formally identified.
CEASE equips frontline local government employees with the knowledge and confidence to recognize the warning signs of human trafficking, respond appropriately, and connect concerns through established reporting channels.
The CEASE Approach
1.
What CEASE Does
CEASE provides training and technical assistance to counties, cities, and towns across Arizona. Training helps local government employees recognize the signs of human trafficking, understand trafficker tactics and vulnerabilities, identify potential victims, and know how to respond and report concerns appropriately.
In addition to training, CEASE helps jurisdictions strengthen policies, establish clear reporting procedures, and align internal practices with Arizona law and local ordinances to build a coordinated community response.
2.
Who Should Join
CEASE is designed for counties, cities, and towns that want to strengthen their response to exploitation. The program equips leaders and employees across all departments with the knowledge and tools to recognize, report, and respond to suspected trafficking.
A community-wide approach helps local governments improve prevention, strengthen reporting practices, and create a coordinated response that protects vulnerable individuals.
3.
Becoming CEASE Designated
Counties, cities, and towns that train at least 75% of their employees are eligible to become CEASE Designated Communities.
The CEASE designation recognizes a community’s commitment to preventing human trafficking through education, awareness, and a coordinated response across local government.
4.
Ready To Begin?
Whether your community is just getting started or ready to pursue CEASE designation, we’re here to help. We’ll work with your team to schedule training, support implementation, and guide you through the designation process.
5.
CEASE Designation Recognition
Communities that complete the CEASE program receive public recognition for their commitment to preventing human trafficking.
Designated communities receive a CEASE recognition plaque, which is often presented during a city council meeting to publicly acknowledge the municipality’s commitment to preventing human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. This recognition helps raise community awareness and demonstrates the city’s or town’s leadership in creating a safer community.
AATN also partners with designated municipalities to develop a press release announcing the achievement and highlighting the community’s commitment to recognizing, reporting, and responding to human trafficking. In addition, communities receive a digital CEASE designation logo for use on websites, social media, and employee email signatures to showcase their designation and commitment to prevention.
CEASE Cities
CEASE is pleased to recognize cities, towns, and counties that demonstrate a commitment to preventing exploitation, strengthening municipal response, and building safer communities.
Click here to begin the CEASE City designation process!