As Charlotte’s population continues to grow, and our road and airport traffic continues to increase our city is becoming an even greater focal point in the war on human trafficking.

According to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, there is now an average of 78 sex trafficking cases every year in North Carolina, and Charlotte is the #1 city.

Last week, Rep. Bill Brawley from Matthews introduced a new bill that would spend over $56 million to help victims and to train students and police to recognize the signs of trafficking and stop them – so far over 40 other lawmakers have also co-signed the bill.

House Bill 910 would set aside $37.5 million for victim shelter beds, $13.5 million for mental health services, and $4.5 million on educating students.

NC lawmakers are also working to pass Senate Bill 500, which would significantly increase the scope and penalties associated with sex trafficking crimes.

In addition to government agencies, several local ministries are also increasing their fight. Starting this fall, Present Age Ministries will be teaming up with DSS and CMS to teach courses to seventh and eighth-grade students in Charlotte about sexual trafficking.

According to the ministry, there are now at least five-hundred new ads are posted soliciting sex in Charlotte every day.

The new law and educational courses will both be largely aimed at combating these online solicitations, teaching kids what to look out for on social media, and making it a felony to solicit online.

Here are some warning signs and things to watch for:

Some great points from our friends at @ourrescue. It only take a few seconds to read and learn them.

A photo posted by Justice Ministries (@justiceministries) on Oct 31, 2016 at 1:44pm PDT

Please share to help build awareness;

Early this afternoon the Charlotte SWAT team was called to a East Charlotte apartment complex to help arrest a man who had barricaded himself inside one of the units with a woman and her child.

The investigation initially started at around 1:23pm after police tried to serve several outstanding warrants on 30-year-old Kendrick Parry, according to CMPD. One of the warrants was for assaulting an officer with a deadly weapon.

The SWAT unit arrived on scene at around 3pm:

The SWAT Team and Negotiators are currently on scene in the 3800 block of Frontenac Avenue in reference to a barricaded subject.

— CMPD News (@CMPD) April 27, 2017

The altercation initially began this morning on East WT Harris Blvd. during a routine traffic stop. When they ran Parry’s licence, officers were told that the driver had felony warrants and a probation violation.

The moment they told Parry to step out of his vehicle, he began to drive off, dragging dragged one of the officers about 20 feet with his car, according to CMPD. He then barricaded himself inside an apartment at the end of Frontenac Lane with a woman and her child.

Here a video taken by one of the neighbors of the standoff and arrest of Parry:

Around 5:16 p.m. this evening, SWAT and CMPD officers were able to peacefully arrest Parry and take him into custody.

This standoff has been resolved peacefully. Suspect, Kendrick Parry, has been taken into custody for outstanding warrants.

— CMPD News (@CMPD) April 27, 2017

Police were involved in a high-speed chase down I-77 this afternoon. The were pursuing a man that was wanted in connection with a home invasion.

Officers began chasing the suspect on Debbie Lane in Iredell County, which soon moved onto I-77 where the suspect rammed squad cars and ultimately spun out of control.

WSOC’s Chopper 9 was able to capture this footage of the chase as it unfolded:

The driver of the white van was identified as as Curtis Luther Dalton Jr., AKA Bubba, according to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies were looking for him in connection with a home invasion.

The white van initially escaped the police, but then was re-spotted on Debbie Lane. Police tried ramming him several times – at one point, the van even rammed back.

After several failed attempts, officers were finally able to put it into a spin. Several squad cars pulled up and officers quickly surrounded the van with guns drawn:

On my way to I-77 in Iredell County where a police chase just ended. Suspect is in custody @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/H7RyWVWhWc

— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) April 26, 2017

Dalton was then pulled out of his vehicle on onto the median where over a dozen officers restrained him.

We will update this article as new information comes in.