Trafficking is the fastest-growing and second-largest criminal industry in the world, and a $38 to $50 billion a year industry in the United States alone.
What officials and reporters have said
As Los Angeles prepares to host the Super Bowl, Sheriff Alex Villanueva reminded residents that the event is a magnet for human trafficking. This is always a lead-up to the Super Bowl, which ends up being one of the major events that draws human traffickers to the region.
Los Angeles Daily News, January 2022
Experts explain the party atmosphere associated with the Super Bowl, concerts and conventions can lead to an increase in the buying and selling of adults and children.
KTLA News
In Atlanta, in the eleven days leading up to the 2019 Super Bowl, police arrested 169 on trafficking charges, including 34 who had targeted minors, the FBI reported.
The Washington Times, February 2020
According to the National Trafficking Hotline, there were 896 cases of trafficking reported in Florida in 2019. The Super Bowl has a reputation for being a magnet for trafficking. In a state that already has many cases, the Super Bowl can be an added opportunity for traffickers to take advantage of the travel and crowds.
Dressember Foundation
Forbes reported that 10,000 people were brought to Miami to be sold during the 2010 Super Bowl, and HuffPost that 133 arrests involving minors were made in Dallas during the 2011 game. The Super Bowl is not the only large event that attracts traffickers and victims, but it is one of the largest annual events in America. Arizona is already a hotspot for every form of trafficking: proximity to the southern border, large populations of homeless and runaway children, and popular entertainment industries make it a high-target area.
What we want the public to understand is that trafficking is happening in plain sight, and that when a child is involved the harm is irreparable.
Where it happens around a big event
Travel: airports, train and bus stations, gas stations
- Travelling with little or no possessions or clothes, or with no phone or only a basic phone.
- Travelling alone with no knowledge of the current location, destination, point of origin, flight or bus number, or who is meeting them.
- A ticket provided for a "modelling job" or "movie extra" role.
Rideshare drivers
- Did your passenger speak about a controller or needing to make a quota?
- Did your passenger seem distressed?
- If a minor is travelling with an adult, do they seem controlled or coerced, told not to speak, or grabbed or restrained when questioned?
Trucking
- A minor engaging in or soliciting a commercial act.
- A passenger vehicle pulls into the truck parking area and multiple people get out and go truck to truck.
- Discussion of having to make a quota.
Document and report: the location, make, model, colour and plate of any vehicle; the time of the encounter and any flights, buses or trains in that window; where people were picked up and dropped off; the appearance, accent and dress of the adult and the minor; and their direction of travel.
Hotels, motels, restaurants, bars, clubs and events
- Did they pay with cash? If not, is the name on the card available?
- Were there several apparent minors with a single controlling adult?
- Where alcohol is served, compare the adult's and the minors' apparent level of comfort.
- At hotels and motels, ask whether there will be additional guests and request ID at the desk.
What to look for
- Evidence of physical abuse: bruises, cuts, burn marks; marks on wrists, ankles, arms and neck that suggest restraint; a malnourished, dirty or unkempt appearance.
- Clothing and appearance: suggestive or revealing clothing on a child; ill-fitting clothes or poorer clothes than the accompanying adult; accessories that disguise identity, age or injuries; clothing wrong for the climate or event.
- Hygiene: extensive bathing in public restrooms; dry shampoo and a brush used in public.
- Tattoos and scars: money signs, barcodes, "daddy", "owned" or a name; brands of a place or gang symbol.
- Interaction: unable to make eye contact; hurried or truncated answers; excessive nervousness or fear when noticed; deferring every answer to the adult; actively avoiding law enforcement or security.
- Context: a controlling figure who inserts themselves aggressively into any interaction, limits the child's movement and contact, keeps all identification, and whose story conflicts with the child's or sounds scripted; a child who will not give an age or gives a false one.
What to do if you see it
Observe
- Remain calm. Do not draw attention to yourself.
- Observe the situation and look for the signs.
- If you are unsure and the situation seems safe, make small talk and watch the child's reaction. Are they responsive and coherent? Do they answer for themselves, or seem scripted and controlled by the adult? Do they seem nervous or anxious? Does the adult whisk them away when you speak? Is the child's body language signalling for help?
Report
- Move to a safe distance and make sure you have the details.
- Call 911 or your local law enforcement agency. If you are somewhere with security or a customer-service desk, tell them and ask them to call 911.
- If you believe they have not acted, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text BeFree to 233733.
- Homeland Security Investigations: 866-347-2423. FBI tips: 1-800-225-5324.
- NCMEC: report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678.
Be able to describe who you saw, what you saw (vehicle, plate, make and model, building, social-media account), when, where and why it seemed suspicious. You may be routed to an agency that specialises in kidnapping and trafficking; the most important thing you can do is get the details right. You can ask to remain anonymous. Full reporting guide.