Human trafficking is a global crime that happens every day – even right here in Pennsylvania. In 2020, 84.7 percent of the calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline were for females, 57.8 percent of calls were for adults and 909 calls were from Pennsylvania, with many more incidents going unreported.
Our vast transportation network – including airports, trains, buses, rail stations, ports, and more – is a key point of access for traffickers to scout for and move their victims. Catching these criminals while in transit is often one of the few opportunities to recognize and report traffickers before the victims disappear.
Whether you work in transit, law enforcement, retail, or are simply traveling, it’s important for everyone to know the signs of trafficking, because anyone can be a victim. In fact, a common misconception is that only women and girls can be victims. A study by ECPAT-USA, the Leading Anti-child Trafficking Organization in the United States, found that as many as half of human trafficking victims and survivors are male, with LGBTQ boys and young men at particular risk.
Common signs of trafficking might include:
●Lack of control over travel identification/documents;
●No freedom of movement/social interaction;
●Difficulty articulating reasonable/logical travel plans; and
●Non-genuine relationship; particularly parent or guardian/child.
Since 2016, PennDOT has been a national leader in working with the Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other government, non-governmental, law enforcement, and private organizations to make Pennsylvania a safer place and bring those who exploit human lives to justice. To date, PennDOT has trained close to 1,400 driver license and welcome center employees in how to spot the signs. We also shared our initial training with transit-agency partners and they continually conduct training using state, federal, and nonprofit resources. And our efforts have served as a model for other states and jurisdictions across the country.
This year, PennDOT has unveiled a new campaign to ensure that everyone is aware of what to do when they spot human trafficking when it happens. Using window clings that will be displayed at 56 rest areas and Welcome Centers around Pennsylvania, we are training employees and the public to “know it and use it,” referring to the universal hand signal for help – a simple hand gesture where you curl your thumb into your palm and fold your fingers over it. A second window cling will remind the public to “see, call, save” – meaning that if they SEE human trafficking in Pennsylvania, they should CALL authorities and potentially help SAVE a life.