Suffolk County officials on Thursday unveiled a new multiagency, coordinated approach to find missing children and curb what they say is an "epidemic" of human trafficking in the county. The initiative,

Suffolk County has just been awarded state funds to combat human trafficking. The Trump administration evicted former Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan from her home with three hours of notice on Tuesday. The Trump White House press secretary's gaffe prompted two words to trend online.

In Richmond, the focus has largely been on curbing sex work along 24th Street by increasing lighting, considering traffic calming measures and deploying quarterly human trafficking operations.

An annual operation targeting human trafficking rescued 11 minors from possible exploiters and resulted in 547 arrests statewide, including more than 230 in Los Angeles County, authorities announced this week.

Suffolk officials describe human trafficking in the county as an epidemic, and child welfare experts say it's an issue that affects entire communities. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn reports.

As News 12 first reported, the program will create a new system of sharing information about missing or trafficked children and provide resources for affected families.