Summary

Security officers represent tens of millions of eyes and ears in society, making them a valuable tool in the global fight against human trafficking.

Issue

The International Labor Organization says 49.6 million people are currently victims of human trafficking, and private sector engagement is considered key in the fight against it. Institutions too often fail to detect and protect trafficking victims, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and police are rarely trained on the subject (less than 20% in countries examined).

Benefits

By training public-facing private security professionals to understand the signs and symptoms of human trafficking, they can be an important asset in the global effort to fight it.

Issue or Approach

Training officers on indicators of human trafficking and how to approach possible victims in the best way possible is critical to making them a more valuable resource in stopping human trafficking (especially those in environments where they may encounter people in need, including hospitals, hospitality, retail, and transportation environments). Frontline security professionals should be aware that human trafficking victims may not want to be identified out of psychological ties to their trafficker or from fear: of arrest, bodily harm, financial harm, deportation, and harm to family members. Combine training in indicators and response, with:

• Training in crisis intervention and in interacting withvictims who have been traumatized.

• Training to understand and recognize the impact of traumaon survivors of human trafficking.

• Consultation with officers to develop guidelines andpolicies regarding human trafficking identification and referral as wellmonitoring the effectiveness of policies and programs.

• Tailored instruction to the types of victims that officersare most likely to encounter in their environment.

• Periodic refresher and updated training (as trends in traffickingvictims and scams evolve over time).

 [Note: Basic training modules on human trafficking are widely available and can be adapted for private security, such as the course offered by the US Dept. of Homeland Security for federal emergency employees “Blue Campaign” materials for industry professionals may also be helpful

Imperative

Security professionals are often in a unique position to identify signs of humantrafficking, including observing evidence of controlling or dominatingrelationships or adherence to scripted or rehearsed responses in socialinteractions, and security professional have surveillance andcounter-surveillance backgrounds that can be tapped. It is important for security professionals to have the tools, resources, and vocabulary to be ableto identify victims.

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