Sun Tran launches #WeSeeYou campaign to fight against human trafficking
Sun Tran in Tucson, Ariz., launched a new campaign to raise awareness of and combat against human trafficking. The agency says the #WeSeeYou awareness campaign offers help to potential victims and educates the public on ways to recognize and report human trafficking.
The city of Tucson was one of 24 organizations to receive funding from the Federal Transit Administration in 2020 for public safety initiatives, such as human trafficking awareness. Sun Tran said some of the $221,000 in funding was used to train bus drivers on how to identify human trafficking and the proper reporting protocols.
“Because of the grant there are 900 more people in Tucson who know the signs of human trafficking," said Sun Tran General Manager Steve Spade. "If our employees spot one of these signs, they now have a chance of reporting it before it becomes too late.”
He added, “I think the way you stop human trafficking is to see it, recognize it and have people aware of what is going on. Sometimes trafficking happens right under our noses. If we're not trained to be observant, then we have no idea and we can't help.”
All of Sun Tran’s buses feature a sticker notifying the public of the campaign and include the National Human Trafficking Hotline number. The decals mark the vehicles as a haven for anyone experiencing trafficking.
The public can join these efforts by learning how to recognize the signs of human trafficking and ways to report the crime. Sun Tran has developed educational videos, informational brochures and a resource web page at SunTran.com. The public can also notify bus drivers about suspicious behavior, who can discreetly call for help.
“If somebody in our community is experiencing a problem, whether it’s a threat or human trafficking, we want them to know that they can go to a bus for help,” said Spade. “Tell a driver or grab one of our supervisors and we’ll make sure that you get to safety.”
Mass Transit Staff Report
Stories under this byline were produced through a team effort by the editorial staff of Mass Transit.
To learn more about our team, click here.
If you have a story idea, let us know by emailing [email protected]. Please review our contributor guidelines found here.
