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ISP teaming up with surrounding states for Human Tracking Awareness Month

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Human trafficking is a worldwide problem. The U.S Department of Health and Human Services estimated that there are 27 million victims worldwide that makes about $150 billion each year.

January is designated as Human Trafficking Awareness Month and aims to educate the public on the dire problem.

Indiana State Police have set out to team up with surrounding states, Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois to educate the public, specifically commercial motor vehicles on the issue.

“Truck drivers go everywhere. So many times we see, we’re checking log books, the driver may have started in New York, three of four days later, he’s in California. Look how many cities, towns, rest parks, truck stops. Why not educate them? Give them the tools they can use because we’re vastly outnumbered out here so we need all the good people on our side to help us out,” said Indiana State Police Senior Trooper Brent Hoover with the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division.

State police say that one in three runaway are approached by human traffickers within the first 48 hours. The most common victims are around the age of 14 and are in areas of poverty but human trafficking extends to every culture and demographic. It often will start out in big cities, big areas, truck stops, rest parks, and gas stations.

“We’re starting to see more and more cases where kids are going online, interacting with people online who they form this trust with and they assume the person on the other end is who they are,” Hoover added.

There is an increased push to crack down on human trafficking. Earlier in January, the Indiana Attorney General’s office announced they would expand resources to the Human Trafficking Unit.

In 2016, the FBI recovered 36 juveniles in Indiana who had been trafficked. Human trafficking is defined as a modern day form of slavery where victims are forced into labor or sex.

There are multiple signs to look for in victims. “The young person is going to be real quiet, shielded, held off, not talking, you may see that a lot of them will do branding like with tattoos around the neckline, wrists, it just seems out of place,” Hoover said.

Other signs could include noticeable physical abuse like bruises, scars, broken teeth, and malnutrition.

Hoover said parents should talk to their children, educate them, and be aware of their online activity.

“It’s not necessarily the white van with the stranger handing out candy anymore. It’s situations of kids going online through solicitation online,”

There is a group called Truckers Against Trafficking. It is a grass roots group that is involved with the trucking community and aims to educate about signs of trafficking. The group has a smartphone app that can be download. On the app it displays information about trafficking and ways to report if you see suspicious activity.