USDOT renews fight against human trafficking in transportation sector

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) called on the transportation sector to take counter-trafficking steps to combat a practice seen as modern-day slavery that is driven by profit and takes advantage of connections provided by the U.S. transportation network.  

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao, who was joined by leaders from Congress, state governments and the transportation industry, detailed a series of initiatives that serve as a call to action to combat human trafficking.

“The U.S. Department of Transportation is committed to working with our public and private partners to fight human trafficking on America’s transportation system,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

Human trafficking affects an estimated 24.9 million men, women and children globally. Its victims encompass all ages, races, backgrounds and citizenship. USDOT notes that some are trafficked within their own communities on various forms of transportation, while others are transported to new locations.

Secretary Chao detailed three initiatives that include:

• A renewed focus on the “Transportation Leaders Against Human Trafficking” pledge to train the transportation workforce and raise public awareness on the issue of human trafficking across all modes of transportation. Secretary Chao is challenging the transportation industry to commit to “100 Pledges in 100 Days.” USDOT anticipates more than 1 million employees across all modes of transportation will be trained because of this initiative. 
• USDOT established an annual $50,000 award to incentivize individuals and entities, including non-governmental organizations, transportation industry associations, research institutions and state and local government organizations, to think creatively in developing innovative solutions to combat human trafficking in the transportation industry. USDOT will review applications and determine the individual or entity that will most effectively utilize these funds to combat human trafficking.
• The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded $5.4 million in grants through the Human Trafficking Awareness and Public Safety Initiative to 24 organizations to fund projects that will prevent human trafficking and other crimes on public transportation.

To support the department’s counter-trafficking efforts, the DOT Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking completed a report in July 2019 that recommends actions USDOT can take to help combat human trafficking and best practices for states and local transportation stakeholders.

Transit providers respond to call

Transit providers across the U.S. responded by taking the pledge and outlining counter-trafficking efforts they plan to take on their systems.

The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) will use materials developed jointly by USDOT and the Department of Homeland Security to train both its staff and Keolis crew members, who work onboard VRE trains, to spot common indicators of human trafficking and report suspected activity. The initiative includes an outreach component, which VRE will employ to increase awareness among passengers.

“Perpetrators of human trafficking often rely on transportation systems to move their victims, hiding their crimes in plain view,” said VRE Acting CEO Rich Dalton. “Our hope is that by joining other providers in the rail, bus, shipping and aviation sectors, we can collectively reduce these atrocities.”

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (SCVTA) was also among the transit agencies that pledged to combat human trafficking. Since 2015, SCVTA has required all employees to be trained to recognize the signs of human trafficking, identify potential victims and work with law enforcement to get help. SCVTA also aims to raise public awareness about human trafficking and that the transit system can be a safe haven for victims seeking help.

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) has taken a collaborative approach to its efforts with the Collaborative to End Human Trafficking.

"Since 2013, [GCRTA] has successfully worked to help raise awareness of the horrific reality of human trafficking," said GCRTA CEO and General Manager India Birdsong.

"We make sure operators are trained to spot indicators of human trafficking, which can include people who seem to be denied freedom of movement, who appear coached in talking to authorities, or who don't have identification. RTA operators have instant access to transit police dispatchers, who can be on the scene within minutes to provide assistance," she said.

Grants to fund the fight against trafficking

Public transit systems face a unique challenge when it comes to human trafficking; the ease of mobility, breadth of connections and relative anonymity of travel can make them chosen modes in which traffickers transport their victims.

The $5.4 million in funding awarded through the FTA’s Human Trafficking Awareness and Public Safety Initiative is one step in this fight. The funding includes the $4 million FTA originally issued a call for in March 2019 plus an additional $1.4 million.

"The funding announced today will empower transit agencies and other organizations to develop local solutions to address human trafficking on buses, trains and other forms of public transportation," said FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams. "Our goal is to build awareness among all transit operators and the traveling public to enable them to recognize and report potential instances of human trafficking."

The grants to 22 transit agencies range from a few thousand dollars to $474,000 with the largest grant of $1.64 million awarded to End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purpose‐USA, a policy organization, that will develop educational and public awareness campaign materials for transit systems to address public safety and human trafficking on transit.

The other non-transit agency grant award went to the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA), which will use the $242,677 grant to improve existing educational materials for transit agencies on human trafficking prevention, operator assault and public safety, and develop new learning tools.

The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) was awarded $160,000 that will allow the RTC to create a training program led by local law enforcement for bus drivers and transit ambassadors to better identify the signs of human trafficking, designate safe places for victims to receive assistance and help victims reach a safe haven where they can receive services including emergency housing, medical and behavioral healthcare support and victim advocacy.

The RTC, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and FirstMed will track the progress of these efforts and provide reports of lessons learned for other transit authorities and community stakeholders seeking to advance similar initiatives.

Other examples of the work the grants will fund include an awareness campaign the SCVTA will launch with the help of its $350,000 grant that will include rider education on how to report suspected human trafficking activity, as well as increased employee training on human trafficking.

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners in Georgia will receive $352,000 to install communications equipment on buses linked to dispatchers at the transit maintenance center, allowing for live monitoring of the bus driver and their surroundings. Gwinnett County Transit operates seven local bus routes and five express routes in the northeast metro Atlanta region, carrying approximately 1.5 million riders annually.

A complete list of the 24 grant recipients can be found at FTA’s website.