Suffolk County, with a population larger than Manhattan, is also one of the worst in the country for human trafficking.

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,

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.

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.

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.