Citizen, Business Owner and …. Crime Fighter?
Recognizing and reporting human trafficking in day-to-day interactions
According to US law Human Trafficking is“ the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.” and, as last year’ s bust of illicit massage parlors and a child pornography ring( any exploitation of persons under 18 is automatically classified as trafficking) show, not even League City is immune. The most common forms are labor or sex trafficking or, not infrequently, a combination of the two.
What does this mean for us as business owners and citizens? How can we be sure that we are putting our personal and business dollars toward legitimate endeavors and denying funds to those who operate with illegal or exploitive practices? Do those of us who use personal services such as manicures, massages or maid services need to forgo those to ensure we don’ t participate in trafficking?
Fortunately, the answer is“ No”. There are ways to make an educated guess that you are dealing with a legitimate business as well as warning signs as to which businesses would be good to avoid. I spoke with Kerri Taylor of UnBound Houston, a local group that educates the community on trafficking, and she gave examples of what to look for both before booking an appointment and after. Before booking check the hours the business is open. If they are open at odd times or unusually late it may be a cause for concern. Also check the price.
By: Naomi Marker knitn. kitten @ yahoo. com
As much as we all like a bargain, if the price seems very low it is also a warning sign as it indicates that the profit is made elsewhere. Upon reaching the place of business, if the windows are heavily covered or there is an unusual amount of security equipment that should also be a red flag. Once inside, pay attention to if the employees make eye contact or have any particularly odd tattoos, especially a barcode( yes, really). During the appointment try to engage in small talk. If the service provider lives at the shop, is only paid tips or doesn’ t know what city they are in it is a good chance they are being exploited. The link at the bottom provides a more thorough overview than is possible here and goes to a national antitrafficking organization that works with the Justice Department as well as state and local law enforcement.
Should you find yourself already booked for an appointment someplace you now realize may be involved in trafficking, this is a good chance to call the national hotline( 1-888-373-7888) as well as local law enforcement. They appreciate these tips as the start of investigation into what turns out to be a major trafficking ring is often a tip from a citizen who realized something was wrong in the course of a normal business interaction.
http:// polarisproject. org / recognize-signs
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