Governor Wolf Announces PennDOT Effort to Help Combat Human Trafficking

Governor Wolf Announces PennDOT Effort to Help Combat Human Trafficking

3/7/2017-HARRISBURG

In an effort to help combat human trafficking, Governor Wolf announced that
the
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is training its front line Driver

License Center staff to notice signs of a potential trafficking situation.
PennDOT is working with the Pennsylvania Public Transportation Association
to
help arrange this training for their operators as well, and is sharing
trafficking awareness information with commercial drivers who visit Driver
License Centers.

"I applaud Secretary Richards and PennDOT for their work to combat human
trafficking," said Governor Wolf. "Spreading awareness and training PennDOT

employees on how to identify possible human trafficking victims is an
important
step in fighting this horrific issue."

"Human trafficking has sadly become a worldwide problem and developed into
a
$32 billion a year trade," said PennDOT Leslie S. Richards. "We at PennDOT
are
doing our part to help spot victims and get them assistance."
The training, developed by PennDOT in partnership with the Villanova Law
Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation, and Truckers against
Trafficking, defines trafficking and how victims are forced and coerced
into
it. The training also instructs employees how to call the appropriate
authorities and what information to collect if they see potential
trafficking.

As of Jan. 13, every transit agency director across Pennsylvania has been
trained, and PennDOT expects its Driver License Center and transit agency
staff
to be trained by summer 2017.

Additionally, PennDOT is now distributing wallet cards to CDL holders and
applicants at its Driver License Centers, which contain information
regarding
how to report a tip to law enforcement when suspecting human trafficking
activities.

Pennsylvania enacted Act 105 in 2014 to define human trafficking and give
law
enforcement tools needed to go after traffickers.

Here are links to information about human trafficking:

• Blue Campaign (USDOT/USDHS Joint Initiative):
https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign

• Polaris (National human trafficking non-profit):
https://polarisproject.org/

•Truckers Against Trafficking: http://www.truckersagainsttrafficking.org/

• Villanova Law Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation:
https://cseinstitute.org/

Instances of human trafficking can also be reported to the National Human
Trafficking Resource Center, 1-888-373-7888.

MEDIA CONTACT:
J.J. Abbott, Governor's Office, 717-783-1116
Rich Kirkpatrick, PennDOT, 717-783-8800

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