All this week, the Indiana State Police (ISP) Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division (CVED) is partnering with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) for CVSA's Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative on January 8-12.

During this annual initiative, the ISP's CVED personnel will work on raising awareness about human trafficking by distributing outreach materials to commercial motor vehicle inspections.

Commercial motor vehicle drivers, crisscrossing America, are in a unique position to identify potential incidents of human trafficking and raising their awareness and providing drivers with the tools to identify and report signs of human trafficking is the goal of this campaign. CVSA’s Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative will be conducted across North America – in the U.S. from January 8 -12; in Canada from February 19-23; and throughout Mexico from March 11-15.

According to the United Nations, human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of people through force, fraud, or deception with the aim of exploiting them for profit. Men, women, and children of all ages and from all backgrounds can become victims of this crime, which occurs in every region of the world, including North America. Human traffickers often use violence, fraudulent employment agencies, and fake promises of education and job opportunities to trick and coerce their victims.

The CVSA, together with the Indiana State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, is collaborating with Truckers Against Trafficking to engage and equip the commercial vehicle industry in the fight against human trafficking.

To report suspected human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at (888) 373-7888 or text INFO to 233733.