TAMPA, Fla. \u2014\u00a0According to the 2024 state report on human trafficking, prepared by the University of South Florida, an estimated 200,000 people were victims of human trafficking and another 500,000 were exploited in labor trafficking. Many of them cross through places like airports.<\/p>\n
What You Need To Know<\/p>\n
Florida ranks third in the nation for human trafficking, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline\u00a0
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A USF study estimates that last year over 700,000 Floridians were victims of some form of trafficking
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Tampa International Airport police say they\u2019re proactively patrolling and training airport staff to spot signs of trafficking victims<\/p>\n
The biggest takeaway from police is simple: see something, say something. With as many as 80,000 people arriving and departing Tampa International Airport daily, police are working with everyone at the airport to find victims.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo when you see that person that\u2019s kind of timid, or there\u2019s something that\u2019s just sticking out, someone\u2019s behaving a little differently, it just maybe warrants a second look,\u201d said Sgt. Daniel Jones, with Tampa Airport police.<\/p>\n
Police say the airport can be a prime location for transporting trafficking victims.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf somebody is carrying somebody else\u2019s ID, or not letting somebody speak, or there\u2019s some weird behavior, looks controlling,\u201d Jones said. \u201cIt\u2019s that general, \u2018Hey, my gut is telling me that something isn\u2019t right here.\u2019 Let\u2019s look into that just a little bit more and see what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Men, women, young, old, there is no one type of trafficking victim, nor is it all about sex. Trafficking, police say, is when someone is forced to do something without the freedom to stop.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why airport police trains its cops and other airport staff on the signs to spot and what to do when they think they\u2019ve found a victim.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is their community. The airport is their community. They love where they work, they love what they do, so nine times out of 10, they\u2019re invested. When we ask for something in terms of being part of this community, they\u2019re willing to step up, they\u2019re willing to train, they\u2019re willing to learn, they ask questions. They want to know all those details because they want to help,\u201d said Jones.<\/p>\n
Kristin Taylor leads Stop the Movement, a Tampa-based anti-human trafficking organization focused on prevention.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really is hidden in the shadows, yet it\u2019s also in plain sight,\u201d said Taylor.<\/p>\n
Their work has led to over 1,000 encounters with 200 women, saving several from the grips of traffickers.<\/p>\n
She, and police say, when big events come to town like the Super Bowl, Gasparilla, even business conventions, demand for these illicit acts spikes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe think that they\u2019re going up to us and going, \u2018Help me, help me,\u2019 and take our hands and go to the police station. That very rarely happens,\u201d Taylor said.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why it\u2019s so critical for everyone: police, advocates or everyday citizens, to know the signs.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re travelling through this airport, you\u2019re still a member of this community. You might be laser focused on getting to your gate, or doing what you need to do, but there\u2019s a lot to see and there\u2019s a lot of folks here. If you happen to see something that doesn\u2019t really line up with what you think is going well or good, say something to us and we\u2019d be happy to take a look at it,\u201d said Jones.<\/p>\n
Stop the Movement said that number, 700,000 trafficking victims, can be startling, but they believe that number is far higher as many cases just don\u2019t get reported.\u00a0<\/p>\n