The NATSO Foundation will join the Texas Attorney General, the Texas Trucking Association and Truckers Against Trafficking Feb. 23 in hosting a coalition meeting in El Paso, Texas, aimed at coordinating ways to fight human trafficking within the state.
Truckstops and travel plazas have a critical role to play in reporting suspected incidents of human trafficking along the nation’s Interstate Highway System, and NATSO members are invited to attend this private “Coalition Build.”
The event is scheduled to be held at the Region 19 Education Services Center in El Paso, Texas, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 23.
All travel plazas and truckstops are invited to attend, regardless of NATSO membership.
State coalition meetings provide an opportunity to educate members of the business community, transportation and law enforcement about human trafficking as well as serve as an open forum to discuss human trafficking trends in regional areas and to explore collective ways to combat this crime.
Since 2013, NATSO has co-sponsored regional Coalition Builds with Truckers Against Trafficking, state trucking associations and law enforcement.
For nearly six years, the NATSO Foundation has been helping members of the truckstop and travel plaza community engage in the fight against human trafficking.
NATSO also works closely with the Department of Transportation, Polaris Project, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and other local organizations to gain insight into best practices on how to educate our members. Our goal is to provide our members with the tools they need to train their staff so that those individuals are equipped to help if they encounter a victim of this horrible crime.
NATSO members are encouraged to train their employees in how to recognize and respond to suspected incidents of human trafficking using the NATSO Foundation’s online course, "The Role of Truckstops in Combating Human Trafficking." The course is free to anyone in the truckstop and travel plaza community. Non-NATSO members should call Kimberly Roberts at 703-739-8573 or kroberts@natso.com to establish an account.
Truckstops seeking additional information regarding the Feb. 23 coalition meeting or who would like to learn about future coalition meeting locations should contact Tiffany Wlazlowski Neuman at 703-739-8578 or twlazlowski@natso.com.
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