NJ Transit signs Leaders Against Human Trafficking pledge, set to launch anti-human trafficking awareness campaign

New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) has signed the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Leaders Against Human Trafficking pledge and is launching a system-wide anti human-trafficking awareness campaign.  NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin S. Corbett signed the pledge on behalf of the agency at a ceremony in Newark Penn Station.  

"By partnering with the USDOT and transportation agencies across the country, our collective efforts will help bring us closer to the goal of eliminating human trafficking,” Corbett said. “As New Jersey prepares to welcome visitors from around the world for the FIFA tournaments in 2025 and 2026, NJ Transit is heightening our proactive measures designed to protect both visitors and residents to ensure these events are as safe and secure as they are memorable.”   

“Human trafficking is a horrific worldwide problem, but it occurs closer to home than many of us may realize,” said NJ Transit Police Chief Christopher Trucillo. “It’s an issue we take seriously and signing this pledge demonstrates our commitment to not only keeping our customers safe, but to providing resources to those in immediate need of help.” 

USDOT created the anti-trafficking pledge to help transportation agencies raise awareness of the issue and to communicate strategies to prevent trafficking. NJ Transit’s coordinating awareness campaign, “Human trafficking isn’t always easy to spot,” encourages NJ Transit customers to report suspected incidents of trafficking, links potentially trafficked individuals with support and educates the public about how best to intervene. The campaign is a collaboration between NJ Transit, the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General and the New Jersey Transit Police Department and is part of NJ Transit’s existing “RIDE KIND” campaign.  

Campaign elements will include: 

• Informative “STALLS FOR SAFETY” stickers from the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General placed inside bathroom stall doors throughout NJ Transit’s system. 
• Messaging displayed on station digital monitors and on printed posters placed in vehicles, stations and on NJ Transit social media pages. 
• Two specially-wrapped buses operating statewide throughout the month of January, which is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. 
• The campaign will be in English and Spanish and all website copy is auto-translatable into numerous other languages via desktop and mobile browsers. 

 The New Jersey Human Trafficking Task Force (NJHTTF), as affiliated with the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General and the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ), defines trafficking in persons as modern-day slavery. According to the NJHTTF brochure, "victims of human trafficking, men, women and children can be exploited for the purpose of commercial sexual activity, including prostitution and pornography, as well as many types of forced labor, including domestic servitude and migrant agricultural work. Traffickers lure and control their victims through the use of force, fraud or coercion and employ techniques such as physical and psychological abuse, false employment offers, document holding and isolation.”  

“Too often, when someone suspects human trafficking, or is being trafficked, they don’t know how to get help,” said New Jersey Office of Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. “This campaign compliments an initiative my office launched last year, where posters with information on law enforcement and victim-support resources are placed in bathroom stalls. These posters target moments when a victim is likely separated from a trafficker and can get help. The NJ Transit initiative being announced today further ensures that our residents and visitors are safe from exploitation and victimization.”