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DHS, DOT and Amtrak Enter Into New Partnership to Fight Human Trafficking

Written by FEDagent on . Posted in General News

In an effort to fight human trafficking, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Transportation and Amtrak have announced a new partnership which will help transportation employees and Amtrak Police Department officers identify indicators of human trafficking and report suspected cases of human trafficking.

“Today, we pledge to do more to combat human trafficking by broadening our network of partners to help us identify and rescue victims and help bring the perpetrators to justice,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. “We’re grateful to have the participation of Amtrak and the Department of Transportation in this important effort, which will help save lives, protect innocent victims and prevent this form of modern day slavery.”

Through the partnership, DHS and DOT will develop training materials used for the DHS Blue Campaign to educate Amtrak employees on human trafficking indicators and reporting mechanisms. Currently, all DHS employees who are likely to come in contact with human trafficking victims are required to take the human trafficking awareness training.

The partnership also furthers DOT’s efforts to increase awareness on the issue and ensure that the transportation system is not used for human trafficking activities. More than 55,000 DOT employees are currently being trained on identifying and reporting human trafficking, DHS said.

“We cannot let the American transportation system be an enabler in these criminal acts,” Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said. “In addition to today’s partnership with the Department of Homeland Security and Amtrak, we are working with all modes of transportation to help stop the flow of human trafficking. Raising awareness can save lives, and we all have a responsibility to keep an eye out for these activities.”

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