Troopers report outreach efforts to stem human trafficking

Indiana State Police distributed nearly 1,500 informational cards and educated nearly 700 commercial vehicle drivers during the recent awareness campaign about human trafficking.

The state Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division partnered with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance to distribute outreach materials to commercial drivers as part of commercial vehicle inspections during the awareness initiative earlier this month. In total, the division distributed 1,481 wallet cards to drivers of 696 commercial vehicles during the push.

This initiative seeks to impart information about human trafficking, including how to recognize its signs and what actions to take if you suspect someone is being trafficked. Authorities say commercial drivers are in a unique position to identify potential incidents of human trafficking. That’s because drivers often work in locations where human trafficking may occur, such as truck stop parking lots, rest areas, or facilities that could exploit victims of labor trafficking.

Human traffickers often use violence, fraudulent employment agencies, and fake promises of education and job opportunities to trick and coerce their victims.

To learn more about preventing human trafficking, you can go here: https://cvsa.org/programs/human-trafficking-prevention/