​The majority of people who are trafficked do not have cars. Their controllers can use rideshare services to transport victims to sex buyers or to a forced work situation. That’s why rideshare drivers are in a unique position to be able to spot the warning signs of human trafficking. They can offer a victim help, or if the trafficker is in the car with the victim, drivers can report a human trafficking situation to law enforcement. But rideshare drivers do not always know what to look for. That’s why BEST recently partnered with Lyft and the Dressember Foundation to provide educational sessions to boost human trafficking awareness for Lyft drivers in Miami and Las Vegas.

Lyft wants its drivers to know what to do if they encounter a situation where they suspect a rider may be the victim of human trafficking. The driver education events in Miami and Las Vegas are part of Lyft’s commitment to safety, and are in alignment with Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
 
The Dressember Foundation is dedicated to restoring the lives of human trafficking victims and survivors worldwide. They are sponsoring the driver education events with the goal of helping human trafficking victims escape a life of abuse and exploitation.

BEST led driver education sessions at Lyft’s Miami Driver Hub in advance of Super Bowl LIV on January 9, 10, 13 and 14. Three sessions were led in English and one session was in Spanish. BEST will also be expanding education sessions to drivers in Las Vegas. Sessions will start on February 5, and they will take place throughout 2020 at Lyft’s Las Vegas Driver Hub.

Rideshare drivers can learn to recognize signs that can help them spot a potential human trafficking victim. Some indicators include; riders who are secretive or request a discrete drop-off location, riders who are confused about what city they are in, riders who have signs of physical abuse, riders who are unusually anxious or fearful and do not make eye contact, or riders who allow someone else to speak for them or they respond to questions as if they have been coached. Drivers attending BEST’s sessions are encouraged to report suspicions to 911, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888-373-7888, or text HELP to BEFREE.

When hotel employees learn the signs of human trafficking, they can become advocates for helping human trafficking victims. That’s why The South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (SCRLA) recently joined forces with BEST to provide their member hotel staffs with BEST’s Inhospitable to Human Trafficking training, sponsored by AAHOA. This new partnership makes South Carolina the seventh state to begin using BEST’s hotel employee training program.

Front line staff who work directly with the general public can witness the warning signs of human trafficking and report it. BEST’s training explains the truth about human trafficking and helps hotel employees learn how to recognize potential human trafficking situations and report suspected trafficking activity to their managers.  Hotel management can then contact law enforcement to safely intervene and recover victims. BEST’s hotel employee training has been proven to increase staff reporting, and survey results show that after receiving training, 96 percent of hotel employee participants believe BEST’s training made their hotel safer.

“As an industry uniquely positioned to recognize and report human trafficking, it is crucial that we empower all of our employees to take action when they suspect a problem. Our partnership with BEST gives members free, ongoing access to a toolkit designed to equip everyone working in the hotel industry with what they need to know to help keep our establishments and communities safe,” says John Durst, President & CEO for SCRLA.
 
Given the transient nature of the hotel industry, with its service-focused culture that respects guest privacy, hotels are an ideal environment for human traffickers. So, it is essential that all hotel employees who have direct contact with guests are trained to recognize and report potential human trafficking. 

Ahead of February’s big game and in alignment with Human Trafficking Awareness Month, Lyft is partnering with BEST and the Dressember Foundation to provide education for drivers in South Florida around human trafficking prevention.
 
BEST will lead the sessions on January 9 & 13 (in English) and January 10 & 14 (in Spanish) at the Lyft Miami Driver Hub. The sessions will help Lyft drivers learn how to recognize the indicators of human trafficking, and what to do if they suspect that one of their riders may be a victim of human trafficking.
 
"We are excited to partner with Lyft in this new education initiative to help drivers learn how to identify human trafficking and equip them with resources should they suspect their passenger is a victim of human trafficking,” says Marissa Peden, Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Dressember Foundation.
 
Lyft is dedicated to building and maintaining safe communities. Last year, Lyft launched more than 15 new safety features — including in-app emergency assistance for all riders and drivers.
 
Florida ranks third in the United States in human trafficking cases reported, behind California and Texas, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. With Miami hosting February’s big game, the city is anticipating that over a million people will attend events.
 
“According to survivors of labor and sex trafficking that BEST has interviewed, people who experience human trafficking are frequently in driving services for transportation,” explains Mar Brettmann, PhD, CEO of Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking. “Their controllers may be transporting them to work in a forced labor situation or a victim may be traveling to meet a sex buyer. Lyft drivers have the opportunity to offer assistance to human trafficking victims who are traveling alone or to report suspicion of abuse to 911 or the human trafficking hotline.”