NHP puts the brakes on human trafficking with statewide campaign

The Nevada Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol Division is teaming up with Truckers Against Trafficking, The Nevada Trucking Association and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to educate truckers on the signs of human trafficking.

Truckers Against Trafficking, the Nevada Trucking Association and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration have combined efforts with the Nevada Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol Division to educate commercial vehicle drivers on identifying the signs of human trafficking while positioning State Troopers as a resource to help human trafficking victims.

Human Trafficking is modern-day slavery, defined as when human beings are purchased and sold for forced labor or sexual exploitation. The UNLV Center for Crime and Justice Policy reported Nevada tied for ninth in the nation for human trafficking cases reported in 2017, with the state’s average of 89 percent exceeding the national average of 71 percent. Sex trafficking has steadily proved to be the most prominent form of human trafficking in Nevada, with 1,500 women and children in Northern Nevada alone sold online for sex every day (Creighton University).

“Human trafficking is a heinous crime against humanity, and with our allied partners, we will work together to address it immediately,” said Nevada Highway Patrol Colonel Anne Carpenter. “The DPS Highway Patrol is grateful for our partners at Truckers Against Trafficking, Nevada Trucking Association and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in joining our fight here in Nevada. Together, we will be one step closer to protecting and saving the lives of human trafficking victims across the state.”