EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is reminding the community to be vigilant and educate themselves about the dangers of human trafficking as part of Human Trafficking Prevention Month, Texas DPS said in a press release on Monday, Jan. 6.
Human trafficking is the use of “force, fraud or coercion in any type of labor exploitation or commercial sex act – or when an individual under the age of 18 is involved in commercial sex. It can happen to anyone, anywhere and it occurs in every state, every day and often goes unnoticed by communities,” DPS said.
DPS says public awareness is critical to preventing and combating human trafficking, as these operations are often “masked as legitimate businesses in highly visible areas.”
“Traffickers tend to prey on the vulnerabilities of high-risk populations, like those experiencing homelessness, juvenile runaways, historical or active drug users, individuals with difficult or abusive home lives, and individuals with language barriers or a reason to want to avoid law enforcement personnel,” DPS said.
DPS has provided a list of the following possible indicators of human trafficking for the community to look out for:
A person appears to be under the control of another person either physically (someone else controls the person’s possessions i.e., ID, money, phone) or psychologically (little to no eye contact, unable to speak for themselves, or unable to make simple decisions without approval).
A person has little to no awareness of their surroundings including where they are or where they are headed.
A person has untreated illness or infection, visible injuries, appears malnourished or sleep deprived.
A person’s clothing is inappropriate for the weather or environment or is dressed in a manner that does not appear age-appropriate or makes them appear older.
A person is being transported to and from work by their employer.
A person lives where they work or works excessively long or unusual hours.
A person’s workplace has security measures that are unusual or excessive for the type of business (i.e., boarded or opaque windows, excessive security cameras).
The presence of one of the indicators listed above may not confirm the occurrence of human trafficking. However, the combination and context of indicators could indicate human trafficking pending law enforcement investigation, and those who see it are encouraged to report it, DPS said.
DPS also says it’s in charge of the overall direction of the state’s human trafficking enforcement efforts.
“Through its Human Trafficking Program, Special Agents within the department’s Criminal Investigations Division (CID) work with local, state, and federal agencies in Texas and other states to identify, investigate, disrupt, and/or dismantle major human trafficking organizations,” DPS said.
If you see signs of human trafficking, call 911 immediately. You can also make a report on iWatchTexas or call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text “BeFree” to 233733.
“In FY 2024, DPS Special Agents recovered 446 human trafficking victims and arrested an additional 874 suspects on human trafficking-related charges,” DPS said.
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