Brookhaven recently became the first city in Georgia to join the “Not Buying It”program, intended to raise awareness and refuse support of businesses dealing in the exploitation of children and child sex trafficking.

Mayor J. Max Davis and several city councilmembers became part of the Georgia Task Force on the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in November. They pledged to commit to stop activities that perpetuate child sex trafficking.

The “Not Buying it” program goal is to raise awareness of the problem and foster an environment that protects children from exploitation. As part of the task force, city staff, police officers and chamber of commerce members will be trained how to spot signs of child sex trafficking.

Since 2011, the task force has made 90 arrests and rescued 70 children, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Information: www.notbuyingit.org and www.streetgrace.org .

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Austin Walters died from an overdose in 2021 after taking a Xanax pill laced with fentanyl, his father said. A new law named after Austin and aimed at preventing deaths from fentanyl has resulted in its first convictions in Georgia, prosecutors said. (Family photo)

Credit: Family photo