CAST, Polaris And CCOutdoor Launch Anti-Human-Trafficking Awareness Campaign
Gail Chiasson, North American Editor
The Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST), Polaris, and Clear Channel Outdoor joined together with county and city elected officials and advocates yesterday (Monday, Sept. 22/14) to announce a partnership to raise awareness against human trafficking in the greater Los Angeles area.
Heb Wesson Speaks at Campaign Launch
CCO donated space on 25 digital billboards, 20 traditional billboards, and 20 transit shelter posters throughout the Southland to help spread this important message and encourage victims to seek assistance. The advertisements are running in English and Spanish.
“It is important that all Los Angeles County residents learn to recognize the signs of human trafficking and do their part to report and combat this horrific crime,” says Don Knabe, Los Angeles County Supervisor. “I applaud CAST, Polaris, and Clear Channel Outdoor for bringing this issue out of the dark with the bold public awareness campaign. We must do everything we can to protect our most vulnerable young children.”
The Los Angeles area’s diverse populations and sprawling geography, combined with its international transit hubs, make it a hotbed for the growing crime of human trafficking. Unfortunately, because of the covert nature of human trafficking and the intimidation and manipulation tactics often used to bring victims under traffickers’ control, it remains extremely difficult to combat.
“The fight against human trafficking is an on-going struggle, and public awareness is essential to winning that fight,” says Herb Wesson, Los Angeles City Council president, who says that CAST, Polaris and Clear Channel Outdoor are truly making an important difference.
Mark Ridley-Thomas, supervisor, says “We need everyone to take notice. These billboards will help spread the word, will educate and raise awareness so that victims know they are not alone and that there is a way out.”
“Knowing there is a safe place to go in the community is an important first step for a human trafficking survivor,” says Kay Buck, CAST’s executive director. “Survivors can trust that when they reach out for help, CAST will be there with a safe home, help with legal proceedings, life skills, and job opportunities. We are building important partnerships that are committed to bringing survivors to a place where they are no longer enslaved, but can now contribute to the rich diversity and social fabric of Los Angeles.”
Human trafficking is considered world’s fastest growing criminal activity – worth an estimated $150 billion a year. The crime has forced approximately 20.9 million people worldwide to live in modern day slavery, including hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children in the US. Los Angeles has become a top hub for modern slavery and human trafficking, making the fight to end the crime in Los Angeles County important on a national scale.
Bradley Myles, CEO of Polaris, says, “Victims of human trafficking need to know there is help available for them when they are ready to reach out and be connected to services across the country, including here in Los Angeles. Raising awareness about modern slavery and the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline through campaigns like these is critical as we work to empower victims to rebuild their lives.”
Polaris and Clear Channel Outdoor have forged a national partnership that will see the launch of anti-human trafficking campaigns in additional targeted cities where human trafficking is proliferating.
Clear Channel Outdoor began its first anti-human trafficking campaign alongside Polaris in Philadelphia in 2012 and has since supported campaigns with various anti-trafficking organizations in Baltimore, Las Vegas, Miami, Milwaukee, New Jersey, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle, and across the entire state of Texas. CCO, County Supervisor Don Knabe and MTA launched their first anti-human trafficking campaign in L.A. in 2012 and this marks the second anti-human trafficking supported by Knabe and CCO this year.
“The fight against human trafficking is daunting in scale, making it increasingly important that the public be engaged in the effort to recognize and report the crime,” says Greg McGrath, president of Southern California for Clear Channel Outdoor. “Everyone needs to ensure they’re aware of the signs of human trafficking and are able to report it when they spot it. Clear Channel Outdoor is proud to be a part of this effort to raise awareness and to combat this abominable crime.”
“Modern slavery is the husband coerced through violence to harvest crops, it’s the mother forced to work excessive hours as a domestic servant with little pay, and it’s the daughter sold online for sex against her will. Modern slavery is the 20.9 million people worldwide estimated to be victims of sex and labor trafficking, and we must do what’s in our power to restore their freedom,” says Crews, the Polaris Ambassador, actor, and former NFL player. “The more we raise awareness about the help available for victims of human trafficking in America, the more we can empower them to become survivors.”
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