Last week, I joined colleagues from across the industry in signing the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Transportation Leaders Against Human Trafficking pledge, further committing Metrolink to the fight to end this deplorable practice.
The transportation sector is uniquely positioned to detect and disrupt human trafficking operations, as traffickers frequently visit bus and train stations to recruit vulnerable individuals and then use transit systems to move victims between locations. Because human trafficking is a crime that often occurs in plain sight, it is crucial for those of us who work in the transportation industry to familiarize ourselves with the signs and how to report them. Doing so can truly change someone’s life.
To that end, all Metrolink conductors and engineers have already received specialized training to help them recognize and respond to possible instances of human trafficking on our system. Over the coming months, we’ll be extending comprehensive, in-person training to all front-line Metrolink employees, adopting a mechanism for better data sharing with national counter-trafficking agencies, and implementing a year-round awareness campaign to engage our customers as allies in this effort.
I encourage you to learn more about this important issue that impacts communities across Southern California every day. For those interested, the DOT offers a 20-minute online informational video on combating human trafficking in the transportation sector, which you can access here. Together, we can put the brakes on human trafficking in our region.