TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay area is still two years away from hosting the Super Bowl but a special team is already assembling for the big game. 

And this group is targeting one of the darker sides of big events: Human trafficking. 

A task force is being assembled for the Bay area to help combat sex trafficking, much the same way a team just worked during the Super Bowl in Atlanta. 

The Hillsborough County Commission on Wednesday voted unanimously to take the first steps in forming a task force for Super Bowl LV, scheduled for February 7, 2021 at Raymond James Stadium.  

Hillsborough County officials say they are taking a pro-active approach to combat human trafficking at it's upcoming Super Bowl. The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce hosted a summit on human trafficking early this week. 

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, who sat on the panel, issued a statement following the commission meeting showing support of the initiative, saying that "combating human sex trafficking and those who profit from the sex trade must be a shared priority by everyone in our community." 

Members of the Clearwater-Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force addressed the county commission, citing statistics from this year's Super Bowl where she said the task force made 169 arrests related to human trafficking. 

"Super Bowl was not necessarily the source of sex trafficking problem," the organization said. "It is simply an event that brings it all together in one concentrated place. 

"It’s not so much that you become a victim at the Super Bowl but many victims are brought in to be used as party favors. It’s about the traffickers seizing the opportunity to do business."

And Hillsborough County officials want to eliminate that opportunity. 

Commissioners are now awaiting a report back from staff with a plan for the task force, including which agencies will be involved, what they will do and how will it be funded.