Human Trafficking Train your staff to know the signs

WORKFORCE/ BUSINESS MATTERS

Florida ranks third in the country for calls of suspected human trafficking to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. In 2020, over 2,000 victims were identified within the state; but human trafficking still remains a hidden crime.

Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. Human trafficking (or modern-day slavery) is the second largest global industry — behind illegal drug trafficking — and enslaves tens of millions of women, children and men worldwide. It can happen in any community and victims can be any age, race, gender or nationality.

The Florida Alliance to End Human Trafficking is a nonprofit organization that was created by the Florida Legislature in 2019 to lead the effort to end human trafficking in the State of Florida. It supports the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking led by Attorney General Ashley Moody. Since its launch in January 2020, thousands of individuals have completed the organization’s awareness and training course. The one-hour on-demand training course highlights signs and indicators of potential human trafficking, what to do if someone suspects exploitation and how to get involved in your community to end human trafficking.

The Florida Alliance to End Human Trafficking commends the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association for their proactive efforts to educate their members about human trafficking and exploitation. Through stakeholder discussions, training events, and targeted awareness campaigns, FRLA is a tremendous partner in the fight against this heinous crime. The hospitality industry has a duty and obligation to detect, monitor and report this type of illicit activity.

Although Florida ranks near the top of human trafficking reports, its executive leadership and state legislators have made tremendous policy changes over the years to fight this heinous crime. The Statewide Council on Human Trafficking has focused on developing recommendations for comprehensive programs and services (including recommendations for certification of safe houses and safe foster homes), recommendations for apprehending and prosecuting traffickers and working with agencies to create and maintain an inventory of human trafficking programs and services within the state. The Florida Alliance to End Human Trafficking strongly encourages individuals to get engaged to stop human trafficking by taking its training course and sharing the information with various networks, considering donating to the Florida Alliance so it can continue expanding its awareness and outreach, and reporting suspicious activity to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at (888) 373-7888 or text HELP or INFO to BeFree (233733). To learn more about the Florida Alliance to End Human Trafficking, visit www.FloridaAllianceEndHT.com. The State of HUMAN TRAFFICKING in Florida Awareness and engagement can stop this hidden crime by TIFFANY VAUSE