Human Trafficking
Although it sounds impossible to believe, human trafficking could be happening in your neighborhood. Human trafficking is a form of modern day slavery that occurs in every state and affects thousands of people nationwide.
PennDOT is one of the first transportation agencies in the country to train employees to recognize the signs of a potential trafficking situation and how to report to the authorities. PennDOT continually trains approximately 1,400 driver license center employees on the signs of potential trafficking and all staff at the state’s 14 Welcome Centers. In addition, all new hires receive the training and educational cards
are distributed at all driver license centers. Additionally, as of July 2018 all transit agency employees had received our training as well – roughly 15 thousand people. Transit partners, who join us on the front lines, have also conducted continual training using state, federal, and nonprofit resources.
PennDOT has updated its
End Human Trafficking course for all employees of the department. This course provides awareness on the subject of Human Trafficking and the various campaigns ran by organizations such as "Truckers Against Trafficking" and information on PA protection laws such as, Act 105, Act 130, Act 131 and Act 1. These efforts and many others show us how we can make a difference in the fight against Human Trafficking.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline (1-888-373-7888) is a critical resource in the PennDOT training. The National Hotline serves victims and survivors nationwide with a variety of support services. They also receive tips and alert law enforcement to potential trafficking situations. According to hotline data, 221 human trafficking cases have been reported and 254 calls from victims and survivors in Pennsylvania in 2020 alone.
To learn more about how to spot the signs of trafficking and how to report to the authorities, check out resources from our partners below: