Today is the first day of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative in Canada. It’s a new annual awareness and outreach effort to educate commercial motor vehicle drivers, motor carriers, law enforcement officers and the general public about the crime of human trafficking, the signs to look for and what to do if you suspect someone is being trafficked.
In the months leading up to this three-day awareness campaign, CVSA educated its membership and the general public on human trafficking through webinars, radio appearances and online resources. The Alliance also worked with Truckers Against Trafficking to distribute wallet cards and window decals. In addition, CVSA law enforcement jurisdictions will note human trafficking awareness and outreach data and submit that data to the Alliance.
CVSA selected Feb. 22-24 as the dates for this initiative to coincide with Canada’s National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, which is Feb. 22.
The government of Canada defines human trafficking as recruitment, transportation, harboring and/ or exercising control, direction or influence over the movements of a person in order to exploit that person, typically through sexual exploitation or forced labor.
Mexico’s Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative is scheduled for March 15-17. In the U.S., the initiative took place last month, Jan. 11-13.
“CVSA is committed to bringing awareness to the crime of human trafficking and working together to prevent human trafficking throughout North America,” said CVSA President Capt. John Broers with the South Dakota Highway Patrol.
If you suspect someone is in a human trafficking situation or you are the victim of human trafficking, call the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline at 833-900-1010. The hotline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
To find out what your local jurisdiction is doing to increase human trafficking awareness, contact the agency/department responsible for overseeing commercial motor vehicle safety within your state or territory.