California Trucking Association decides in La Quinta to combat human trafficking

Posted: 1/25/2012      Author: City News Service

LA QUINTA — Members of the California Trucking Association will join a nationwide effort to put the brakes on human trafficking, the group’s president announced today during the annual CTA conference in La Quinta.

“At the California Trucking Association, we say that ‘safety is our priority,’ and that priority drives our members to combat the evils of human trafficking,” said CTA Chief Executive Officer Michael Campbell.

“Truckers are the heart and soul of our nation, so the choice to join forces with Truckers Against Trafficking was a natural one for our members.”

Kendis Paris, national director of Truckers Against Trafficking, said having the state’s largest trucking association involved in the anti-trafficking campaign will “make a substantial difference.”

“Truckers are the eyes and ears of our nation’s highways,” Paris said. “We’re very excited … and believe the California trucking industry will do much to put a dent in domestic sex trafficking.”

CTA will distribute informational DVDs for its member companies to use during training, orientation and safety seminars, according to the organization. Wallet-size cards will also be provided to members with information about how to recognize trafficking and what to do when it’s suspected.

The Riverside County Commission for Women recently held a conference on human trafficking and the crimes associated with it in the United States and abroad.

According to the U.S. State Department, as many as 600,000 to 800,000 people are victims of trafficking every year. Most of them are women and children, who are transported across international borders for the purpose of commercial sex, pornography and other forms of exploitation.

However, some men are also trafficked, forced into debt bondage or servitude after obtaining assistance from smugglers to gain illegal entry to the United States and other western countries, according to federal officials.

*Special thanks to our friends at IJM for bringing this to our attention.