Pasco Bus Drivers To Be Trained To Spot Human Trafficking Victims

PORT RICHEY. FL -- The U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking is partnering with the Pasco County Commission on Human Trafficking and Pasco County Public Transportation to train more than 100 PCPT employees to identify and report human trafficking.

“In many ways, we view bus drivers as those on the front lines to combat human trafficking as they engage with thousands of people a day,” said Geoff Rogers, CEO and co-founder of the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking. “We are thrilled to partner with the Pasco County Public Transportation in strengthening the community and seeking out these vulnerable victims of human trafficking.”

In addition to the training, Pasco County bus drivers will receive information cards with details on signs to look for, the hot line number and protocol to follow if they suspect human trafficking. Each participating bus will have a placard along with victim resource cards for riders to take if they feel they may be a victim. Victim rack cards will provide a trafficking victim questionnaire and the phone number for the National Human Trafficking Hot Line. Based on the average monthly ridership, placards will generate more than 60,000 impressions each month.

“I feel so good about our bus operators," says Kurt Scheible, director of Pasco County Public Transportation. “It's important for transit employees to be aware of their critical role in combating human trafficking. They also need to be aware that their employer fully supports them.”

Florida consistently ranks third in the nation for the number of calls made to the National Human Trafficking Hot Line.

“We’ve seen a lot of progress in our work to combat trafficking in Pasco County, and we are confident that more progress will be made through collaboration with our local bus drivers,” said Stephanie Costolo, Florida regional manager of TraffickingFree Zones at the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking. “We look forward to working alongside the Pasco County Commission on Human Trafficking and Pasco County Public Transportation in putting an end to human trafficking in this area.”

The U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking is a faith-based, nonprofit organization fighting human trafficking in America. It has offices in Tampa, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Austin.