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Human Trafficking in the News
Colorado man sentenced to longest human trafficking sentence in U.S. history
A convicted child sex trafficker from Colorado was sentenced to 472 years in prison on Tuesday, the longest sentence for a human trafficking case in U.S. history. Brock Franklin, 31, was found guilty of 30 counts, including soliciting for child prostitution, sexual assault and kidnapping by an Arapahoe County jury in March. Franklin recruited young girls and women, and forced them into prostitution. There was physical abuse if they didn't cooperate.
 
Texas has hired its first ever director of human trafficking prevention 
Earlier this year, the Tribune's Sold Out series examined how state policies -- including a severely underfunded child welfare system -- failed to help child sex-trafficking victims. Since then, lawmakers set aside a budget increase of more than $500 million for the foster care system and the governor's office approved new funds for trafficking prevention initiatives -- including the state's first-ever director of human trafficking and child exploitation. Kim Grabert, who in July came to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services from a similar agency in Florida, said in an interview with The Texas Tribune that she hoped to help multiple state agencies cooperate to help Texas trafficking victims.
 
The smoke screen that's obscuring 
the voices of survivors - why we must amend the CDA 
I am of the technology generation. I was born the same year the cell phone was invented and Macintosh Apple made its debut. I never knew a time when a computer was not an accessible tool. We live in a time where computers the size of credit cards can stream a giraffe giving birth across the country and can teach us how to do anything from play the violin to fix a leaky drain. The possibilities are limitless. But what happens when those possibilities are twisted into something darker? What happens when we use our innovations to trade in the flesh of young girls?
TAT  presented Linking Arms Award by CSAT

Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) has received the Linking Arms Award presented by Convenience Stores Against Trafficking ( CSAT ). TAT serves as a CSAT consultant. CSAT empowers the convenience store industry to play a vital role in stopping human trafficking in communities. CSAT is a program of the national nonprofit, In Our Backyard, and is replicating TAT's overall model of equipping an industry with training and materials in order to recognize and report human trafficking. There are more than 150,000 convenience stores that serve half the U.S. population daily. CSAT has industry partnerships spanning 30 states and more than 6,000 locations.
 
In presenting the award, Juliana Williams, CSAT director, said, "Thank you for linking arms with us to stop human trafficking in the United States. You have been our model, guide, advisor and champion as we have embarked on our CSAT program. We are so encouraged by your example and honored to be partnered with you in this work."
Mexico set to launch trucking industry program 
to fight human trafficking

Consejo Ciudadano , TAT's partner in Mexico, will launch its trucking industry program, Guardianes del Asfalto, on Dec. 5 in Mexico City. The launch was originally scheduled for earlier in the fall, but an earthquake in Mexico City made that impossible. Bridgestone and UPS, and possibly Praxair, will be in attendance for the press conference, as well as strategy meetings following. TAT will also meet with Consejo Ciudadano to review an in-depth research report on the Mexican trucking industry put together
by a group of students from Brigham Young University.
 
Consejo Ciudadano is a Mexican
 Members of the BYU research team providing information on trucking in Mexico are (L to R back row): Juan Camargo, Gabby Weber, Hannah Jarman, Gabe Davis and (in front center) Andrew Wirkus
 NGO dedicated to serving the citizens of Mexico  through a number of socially responsible programs, most notable of which is running a national crime and human trafficking hotline. It partners with the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline and Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT). TAT has been consulting with Consejo Ciudadano, as well as facilitating the introductions to and initial training implementation for major U.S. companies with Mexico-based operations for the launch of Guardianes del Asfalto. Guardianes del Asfalto is a  replication of TAT's model for coming alongside private industry to engage them in the fight against human trafficking. Guardianes del Asfalto consists of an online training for members of the Mexican trucking, bus and taxi industries that will include specific red flag indicators for how each of these occupations may encounter a victim.
Dow partnership strengthens carrier, third-party logistics relationships 

Through a series of recent meetings hosted by shipping partner Dow Chemical, Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) had the opportunity to connect with more than 100 leaders representing over 30 companies.

Committed to fighting human trafficking through TAT and serious about helping their carriers learn more about TAT's program, Dow's NAA Road Logistics Modal Leader Kristen Beck and her team first invited TAT to speak at the Dow Chemical Safety Directors and Core Carriers conferences in Midland, Michigan.

TAT's Laura Cyrus presented at the XPO Logistics Carrier Safety and Operations meetings.
Following that, Laura Cyrus, TAT operations director, was invited to speak at a  series of meetings, which took place in mid-November. These included the XPO  Carrier Safety and Operations meetings in Aurora, IL, where Joe Burgdorf, program manager, and Alicia Dzurka, transportation analyst, helped communicate to carriers from across the nation the impact they could have by getting involved with the TAT program. 

The week was capped off with the Quest Liner/Foodliner manager's meeting in Dubuque, Iowa, where Cyrus spoke to the leaders of both companies and encouraged them to not only implement the training across their companies but also take the information home to their dinner tables.

Alicia Dzurka, left, transportation analyst at XPO Logistics, Laura Cyrus, center, and Kristin Beck, right, Dow's NAA road logistics modal Leader, all worked at the XPO Logistics Carrier Safety and Operations meetings.
"It's our responsibility as good people to do all we can to end this horrific crime," Beck said. "The key to ending human trafficking is through education and awareness. Just imagine if one person took the time to educate family, friends and co-workers, and so on and so forth. Within no time at all, the general public would know what to be on the lookout for. Our children would be aware of the traps set forth to lure them into this horrible world. And incident rates would drop, as human trafficking would no longer be the crime that silently slips by us all."

To that end, Beck has worked to see that TAT training will be a mandatory requirement for all the carriers Dow hires. That requirement is due to go into effect on April 1, 2018.




Coalition builds continue to be impetus for change

A critical component in the fight against human trafficking is the establishment of an effective and sustainable working relationship between the trucking industry and law enforcement statewide. To create this, Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) uses its coalition builds.
 
In 2017, TAT held eight coalition builds in five new states, introduced TAT to the oil and gas industry and educated a total of 281 law enforcement officers, 83 truck stop employees, and 46 members of the trucking industry about human trafficking. Follow-up with attendees and impact reports show that many more people in each of these communities are being educated and trained about human trafficking as a result of the meetings. Attendees become engaged about human trafficking and take the information back to their homes, communities and places of work.
 
"It is the exponential impact of the coalition builds that is so exciting," said Esther Goetsch, TAT coalition build specialist. "In many states, as a result of the coalition build, extensive parts of the Iowa MVE model have been adopted, including stocking critical locations like weigh stations, rest areas and ports of entry with TAT materials. They have also been an excellent way to introduce TAT's in-depth law enforcement training to key state agencies and have led to multiple opportunities for future extensive law enforcement trainings."
 
The year's final coalition build took place in the Eagle Ford Shale area at the  Conoco Phillips office in Kenedy, Texas. This meeting drew over 87 participants from the oil and gas industry, truck stops and travel plazas, trucking companies, and law enforcement. Survey comments following the build included the following:
 
"As a woman as well as a truck driver and truck driving instructor, this trafficking hit me with such force that I cannot contain the emotions. Thank you!" - Truck Driving Instructor
 
"The statistics shared in Kirsta and Esther's presentations were surprising and insightful to help express the magnitude of this issue. Both were impactful and inspiring to do something to help out." - Oil and Gas Industry member  
What has the Freedom Drivers Project 
been doing this year?


Thinking of end-of-year giving? Check out TAT's new donation page!


To make it easier to give both regular and one-time donations to Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT), TAT has created a Network for Good donation page on its website. The page reminds people of the impact truckers are making in the fight against human trafficking and talks about TAT's goal of mobilizing an army of truckers to ensure more victims are recovered and more traffickers brought to justice.
 
Please consider making TAT a part of your annual giving strategy for bringing about positive changes in our world today.  






Upcoming Events

Dec. 5 - Guardianes del Asfalto Launch, Mexico City, Mexico, Kylla Lanier, TAT deputy director, attending

Dec. 5-6 - Bridgestone Marketing Meeting, Nashville, TN, Kendis Paris, TAT executive director, presenting

December 13-14 - TAT Staff Strategic Planning Session, Evergreen, CO
Truckers Against Trafficking 
PO Box 816 | Englewood, CO 80151

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