The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) special five-day Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative (HTAI) for the upcoming international men’s football/soccer competition began Monday in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S., which are CVSA’s three member countries and the competition’s host countries.
The CVSA issued a news release about about the initiative on Monday.
Scheduled for June 1-5, this coordinated outreach effort brings together law enforcement agencies, transportation safety organizations, commercial motor vehicle drivers, trucking and motorcoach companies, and concerned citizens to raise awareness about the crime of human trafficking, the warning signs to look for and what to do if human trafficking is suspected.
“As millions of fans, workers and visitors travel throughout North America for the international football/soccer competition, scheduled for June 11 to July 19, CVSA and its partners are emphasizing the importance of vigilance and awareness to help combat human trafficking during large-scale events,” the release stated. “Human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of people through force, fraud or deception for the purpose of exploitation. Human trafficking risks may increase during major international gatherings due to higher travel volume, increased demand for hospitality services and the potential exploitation of vulnerable individuals.”
CVSA said throughout the initiative, participating jurisdictions and organizations will conduct outreach campaigns, distribute educational materials, provide training opportunities, share awareness messaging on social media, and engage directly with drivers and the traveling public. To support those efforts, CVSA offers free human trafficking awareness resources and online training to its law enforcement and industry partner members throughout North America.
If you suspect someone is in a human trafficking situation or you are the victim of human trafficking:
In Canada, call 833-900-1010.
In Mexico, call 800-5533-000.
In the U.S., call 888-373-7888.
To find out what your jurisdiction is doing for human trafficking awareness, contact the agency/department responsible for overseeing commercial motor vehicle safety within your state, province or territory.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
