Wisconsin State Patrol educates truckers for Human Trafficking Awareness Day
KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Wednesday is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
People are encouraged to wear blue, raising awareness about the millions of people affected by human trafficking worldwide each year.
This week, Wisconsin State Patrol is taking part in the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Alliance's human trafficking initiative, educating and reminding truck drivers about what to look out for.
Thousands of trucks pass through the Wisconsin-Illinois border weigh station every day.
This week, they were met by the Wisconsin State Patrol with extra resources about human trafficking awareness.
"What we're giving them today is three different handouts and a sticker to put on their truck with that national hotline," said Inspector Alex Murn with WSP.
Wisconsin State Patrol is taking part in a human trafficking awareness initiative this week, passing out cards, stickers, and other handouts like these to truck drivers at weigh stations. We’ll hear the importance about this initiative on @CBS58 at 5 pic.twitter.com/PwSHxIGOht
— Jenna Wells (@JennaWellsNEWS) January 11, 2023
According to state patrol, traffickers may use truck stops as a venue or to move their victims from place to place.
"These truckers aren't just driving from Illinois to Wisconsin. They're really the eyes and ears of the state, as well as the nation," Murn said.
Law enforcement receives special training to spot human trafficking.
"If we see another passenger, we might want to conduct a safety inspection of that truck," Murn said.
Some truckers are also trained to spot the signs.
"We did a whole course on human trafficking and how we need to make sure it's stopped," said truck driver Eric Grotschmair. "It's a far bigger problem that we're aware of, so everyone should do their part to keep aware."
If a truck driver spots possible trafficking, they're instructed to record as many details as possible.
"Try to get a description if you see something, DOT number, license plates go a long way, color of the vehicle, direction of travel, how many people are in the vehicle," Murn explained.
The sticker and resource handouts are meant to serve as a reminder for truckers to call the trafficking hotline and potentially save a life.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline is 188-373-7888.