In the fight to crack down on human trafficking and exploitation crimes, truckers are an invaluable resource. A large number of these crimes take place along our nation’s highways and interstates and that’s why truckers are in a unique position to help. Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) partners with many law enforcement agencies around the country to train truck drivers to recognize and report instances of human trafficking, and on January 17 a new partnership was announced in downtown Phoenix, AZ.
HELP Inc., the provider of PrePass services, joined TAT, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich and PrePass carrier customer Albertsons, Inc. during a press event planned in recognition of of January as Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The AZ Attorney General’s Office will donate funds to help pay for rescue stickers that will be placed on more than 25,000 trucks traveling across the state. The window sticker reads, “Do You Need Help?” with the National Human Trafficking Hotline or the option to text “HELP” to 233-733 (Be Free).
Also at the even was TAT’s Freedom Drivers Project, a unique mobile exhibit designed to educate the public and trucking community about the realities of human trafficking and what can be done to combat it.
HELP President & CEO Karen Rasmussen briefly spoke about the assistance that HELP, a platinum sponsor of TAT, is providing to raise awareness among the more than 57,000 fleets that use HELP’s PrePass system.
“HELP’s goal is not to duplicate work that others are doing to raise awareness of the issue and of TAT training, but rather to augment it,” says Rasmussen. “We are doing this through social media posts and blogs that focus on the hundreds of thousands of drivers that utilize PrePass, as well as the distribution of TAT materials in driver areas at weigh stations where allowed.”
To order window stickers for your fleet, please contact tat.truckers@gmail.com.