Janelle Irwin Taylor
The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority is doing its part to crack down on human trafficking.
The agency has trained nearly 80 of its bus drivers to recognize when passengers may be victims of human trafficking.
The Pinellas transit agency is working with the Department of Transportation, Truckers Against Human Trafficking and the Department of Homeland Security to teach drivers to identify signs that someone might be a victim of human trafficking through its new “Eyes of the City” program.
Warning signs include appearing disoriented or confused or showing signs of mental or physical abuse.
“We may not be able to change the world, but we will be able to help our world. When we see something, we say something,” said Adriana Rodriguez, PSTA’s Risk Coordinator and creator of the new program.
Florida ranks third in the U.S. in reported human trafficking cases, after California and Texas.
According to information from the Polaris Project, many abusers use public transportation to move nearly half of human trafficking victims. There are between 100,000 to 300,000 sex trafficking victims under the age of 18 in the U.S. every year.
“I’m so grateful for Adriana bringing this important issue forward. It demonstrates how dedicated our organization is to helping our community by providing the best public transit we can,” said PSTA CEO Brad Miller. “Human Trafficking is an important issue for all of us to be aware of and if we can train our operators to even help one person, it will be worth it.”
The program launched last May. Bus operators meet two to three times per month to get updates on their training and stay current with trends and warning signs. The agency is hosting its next class Jan. 11.
It’s not the first time a transportation provider has tackled efforts to combat human trafficking. The ride-share company Uber is working to train 100,000 of its drivers to recognize signs of human trafficking.
