By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
State officials in Missouri are participating in National Human Trafficking Month activities, saying the state sees too many cases of human trafficking.
Heather Luebbert, Commercial Motor Vehicle Program Manager with the Missouri Department of Transportation, says Missouri is a transportation hub with the 7th largest transportation system in the country.
“Which makes us fortunate in terms of just our everyday needs to travel around, but it also puts us in a position where we have a lot of roadway and opportunity for traffickers, Luebbert tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “And trafficking exists because they are transporting persons for the benefit of that trafficker.”
Luebbert says Midwestern residents need to be aware of the signs of human trafficking, such as physical abuse, branding tattoos, or someone who can’t speak for themselves. Other signs include a younger person seen with an adult who doesn’t appear related to them or someone who doesn’t make eye contact and isn’t in possession of identification. Human trafficking often takes place at rest areas and truck stops.
Luebbert advises anyone who suspects human trafficking to call 9-1-1 and alert authorities. She says you should not directly confront a suspected trafficker on your own.
“Allow law enforcement to deal with the traffickers and to recover those victims. So, if you’re in a situation where you witness an individual who appears to be in immediate danger, first and foremost, call 9-1-1,” Luebbert says. “Get the local authorities involved so that they can interdict within that situation.”
If you suspect human trafficking, you can also place a call to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text BeFree (233733).
The national hotline reports 240 human trafficking cases in Missouri in 2021, involving 327 victims. Missouri ranks in the top 10 states battling human trafficking. Nationwide in 2021, there were 10,000 cases of human trafficking, involving 16,000 victims.
Congress approved the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 2000. In 2018, MoDOT Director Patrick McKenna signed the Transportation Leaders Against Human Trafficking pledge.
Still, the scourge of human trafficking continues to plague the country.
“I don’t believe that this is a crime that’s going to go away immediately, obviously,” Luebbert says. “It all starts with awareness and prevention and ultimately the ability to put a stop and put a brake to the crime that is happening.”
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