According to BedBible, there were more than 10,000 human trafficking cases reported in all 50 states in 2020. Traffickers frequently move their victims from city to city to escape detection and often use truck stops to solicit business.
Organizations like Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) are soliciting help from the trucking industry to help combat this criminal activity.
“There’s not a better way than to build up an army of eyes and ears to really assist law enforcement to recover victims and arrest traffickers,” said Louie Greek, a coalition build specialist for TAT with a military and law enforcement background.
TAT works with states to get educational material into the hands of people working in all sectors of freight transportation.
“If we can get our materials and resources in front of those drivers when they’re getting their CDL … issued or renewed and train point-of-entry law enforcement officers on how to recognize human trafficking with our resources, we are able to infiltrate that information in roadway systems all across the states,” Greek said.
He said truck drivers are helping make a difference in the fight against human trafficking.
“Our drivers are on the front lines, so they see and recognize a lot of things that we do not,” Greek said. “We have numerous case studies and accounts where these everyday heroes have been involved in the recovery of victims and arrest of traffickers and their actions have literally saved lives thousands of times.”
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