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Human Trafficking in the News
Update: Child sex sting in Tri-Cities nets 26 arrests over five days
Twenty-six men have been arrested over the past five days for allegedly showing up at a Richland apartment intending to have sex with young girls and boys. The suspects nabbed in the multi-agency effort range in age from 20 to 70, with 22 of them living in Kennewick, Pasco and Richland.
 
House passes sweeping overhaul of law to combat human trafficking
The House on Wednesday approved a sweeping reauthorization of the nation's most comprehensive law to combat human trafficking, in a rare bipartisan vote. The bill allocates $520 million over four years toward programs that aim to identify and aid victims of trafficking and prevent it from occurring.
 
Inside the fight to take down online prostitution review boards
At first glance, the undercover video captured by a Seattle detective seems to show an ordinary guys' night out -- a bunch of men just hanging out at a local watering hole, eating nachos and drinking beers. But police said these bar patrons were part of an exclusive group that called itself "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," and they were meeting to talk about a very specific shared interest: their fon dness for Korean prostitutes, who they referred to as "k-girls." 
TAT responds to questions about state laws 
governing CDL requirements

Given all of the legislative movement as of late, we want to make a statement about how TAT is operating. First and foremost, we think we can all agree that human trafficking should be fought. The question really is ... how best do we do that? In trying to answer that question, TAT, while certainly learning as we go, is working with its trucking industry partners. From the beginning, we have made our materials free-of-charge and asked the industry to voluntarily adopt the training ... and we are still doing that. At the same time, the broader anti-trafficking movement has been hard at work getting every sector of our society ... including legislators at the local, state and national levels ... involved in combating the evils of human trafficking, and it is not surprising that we are seeing a host of new laws being offered for consideration.
 
At the state level, we never make a move without the support of our trucking partners in that particular state. And at times, TAT is only finding out about these bills via a media story (or other third party) and then contacting the state in order to try and weigh in on the matter.  We fully recognize the concerns around the Arkansas law that recently passed requiring our training, and we have been working non-stop to co-brand training certificates for all AR-based companies who had already adopted the training (or recently began) in order to expedite the process for all concerned. We will do the same in Kansas, where a similar law has already been put in place. Moving forward, we will be asking states who are pushing for across-the-board mandates to consider training implementation in CDL schools only, where drivers already find themselves in a classroom setting. Please note that it's not just truck drivers being required to train ... its hotel employees, hair dressers, ER workers, and the list continues. When we do gain a seat at the table we are working to make these laws as effective as possible, and as palatable to the industry as can be.
 
We are fully aware that trucking is one of the most over-regulated industries, and that you cannot legislate the mind and heart. We also recognize that both sides of the aisle are coming together around this issue and therefore it is imperative that we try and work with them to form the legislation being proposed so that it does take into consideration the needs and concerns of the industry.
 
To date, the only federal bill we have given our support to is Klobuchar's bill (S. 1536) ... which would designate a human trafficking prevention coordinator at the US DOT, increase outreach, education and reporting efforts at the FMCSA, and provide CDL schools who are implementing anti-trafficking education additional financial assistance. This bill only incentivizes training at the federal level, it does not mandate it.
 
Ultimately, we want to see those who are enslaved set free ... and we want to work with industry to accomplish this goal. We are asking for your continued support in this effort, and want you to know that your concerns are being heard and acted upon. 
Survivor-Leader Tajuan McCarty joins Survivor-Leader Beth Jacobs as TAT field trainers

Truckers Against Trafficking now has two part-time field trainers to present at coalition builds and to do law enforcement and additional specialized trainings as needed with Survivor-Leader Tajuan McCarty joining Survivor-Leader Beth Jacobs in the role of field trainer. Jacobs will cover the northern half of the United States, while McCarty covers all needed presentations in the southern half.
 
McCarty is uniquely qualified to be a forerunner in the fight against trafficking, as she understands victims' situations. At 15, she was sexually exploited by her "boyfriend-turned-pimp." While trafficked all over the United States, Canada and Mexico, she was trafficked to Birmingham so many times, it became her home. Her many experiences make her a passionate advocate for victims of sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
 
Tajuan McCarty
"Not too long after entering the fight against trafficking, I found TAT or they found me," said McCarty. "It amazed me how they reached out to survivors while developing each of the items they wanted to use. TAT honors how we feel and what we say. I am not sure there is any other group that does this to the extent they do. Now I am one of them!!! God is so amazing how He opens doors and brings people together. Who would have thought 30-plus years after walking onto the first truck stop lot when I was being trafficked, He would bring me to this!"
 
McCarty is the founder of The WellHouse, a nonprofit, faith-based and Christ-centered agency dedicated to rescuing women from sexual exploitation/human trafficking. She has experience in social work, community outr e ach, and as a consultant on women's issues. Her professional experience includes leadership positions, such as a social worker for the Alabama Department of Human Resources, in which she has assisted women ex-offenders re-enter society and helped implement Alabama's first program devoted to helping chronically homeless, severely mentally ill women. She holds master degrees in public health and public administration, as well as a bachelor of science in social work from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Latest TAT by the numbers

TAT testifies before Congressional hearing committee

Esther Goetsch, TAT coalition build specialist, met up with Nicole Clifton, vice president of corporate public affairs, UPS, at the hearing. 
Esther Goetsch, TAT coalition build specialist, represented Truckers Against Trafficking at a hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on July 12 in Washington D.C. The hearing was titled Force Multipliers: How Transportation and Supply Chain Stakeholders are Combatting Human Trafficking. The link to the full hearing is  here .  
 
Goetsch was a panel member, along with Polaris Project, Issara Institute and Florida Abolitionist and responded to various questions from Senators regarding human trafficking. The two-hour hearing educated lawmakers about the crime of human trafficking and how various industries are creatively working to combat it. Goetsch provided testimony as to ways the American trucking industry has responded to the realities of human trafficking and is actively serving as a model for other industries in combatting it.
 
"I was encouraged to see so many Senators comment positively on TAT's work and the trucking industry's role in taking this issue on," Goetsch said. "The committee as a whole seemed engaged in this topic and eager to learn how they can contribute to its defeat." 
Helen Van Dam, TAT FDP director, checked out the guitar Tony Justice, country music star and truck driver, raffled off for TAT.
TAT enjoys great crowd 
at Iowa 80 Jamboree

Not only did 1660 people walk through the Freedom Drivers Project (FDP) at this year's Iowa 80 Jamboree, but country music star and truck driver Tony Justice raised $500 for Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) by raffling off a Wilson acoustic guitar signed by himself and George Strait. Additionally, TAT raised another $264 through merchandise sales and donations.
 
"We had a fantastic time hanging out with the folks that came through the FDP," said Helen Van Dam. "Thank you to the Iowa 80 group and the Iowa Motor Vehicle Enforcement Officers for helping to host us. Thank you to Global Specialized Services and JBS Carriers for hauling the Freedom Drivers Project and making its presence at the Jamboree possible. And a big thanks to Tony Justice  for raffling off the guitar to benefit us! We wish him the greatest success on his new album Stars, Stripes and White Lines! Thanks to Tony for being an amazing TAT!"
Upcoming Events

Aug. 2 - Minnesota Trucking Association, Brainerd, MN, Beth Jacobs, TAT field trainer, presenting

Aug. 3  - Colorado Motor Carriers Association board of directors meeting, Denver, CO, Kendis Paris, TAT executive director, presenting

Aug. 10  - Iowa State Fair, Des Moines, IA, FDP and Helen Van Dam, FDP director, attending

Aug. 14 - North Dakota coalition build, Bismark, ND, FDP present and Esther Goetsch, TAT coalition build specialist, and Beth Jacobs, survivor-leader and TAT field trainer, presenting

Aug. 18 - U.S. State Department International Visitor Leadership Program "Combatting Trafficking in Persons" roundtable, Denver, CO, Laura Cyrus, TAT operations director, presenting

Aug. 22 -  2017 Cargo Theft Summit, Monrovia, CA, Guido Hajenius, TAT strategic coordinator, presenting for TAT

Aug. 24-26 -  Great American Trucking Show, Dallas, TX, TAT staff attending

Aug 25 -  HireRight presentation, online, Laura Cyrus, TAT operations director, presenting
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Truckers Against Trafficking 
PO Box 816 | Englewood, CO 80151

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