SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE
The education and awareness campaign will kick off in North Las Vegas, February 22 with a press conference at 10:00 am at: Morton’s Travel Plaza, 1000 E. Cheyenne
The campaign will use materials developed by a national organization Truckers Against Trafficking, www.truckersagainsttrafficking.com to help truck drivers and truck stop employees identify the behavior of underage children being forced to engage in prostitution and report that activity to the authorities.
“The Nevada Trucking Association, and its members are sickened by the evils of human trafficking,” said NTA Chief Executive Officer Paul J. Enos. “Truckers are the eyes and ears of our highways and truck stops, so we are asking truckers to notify the authorities when they see signs of these activities.”
“The Nevada Petroleum Marketers Association is committed to make this effort our top priority for 2012” said Peter Krueger NPM Association Executive. “Our members can make a difference by spotting and reporting underage trafficking at truck stops across Nevada”
Kendis Paris, national director of Truckers Against Trafficking, said “Having the support of Nevada truckers and truck stops will prove vital to the work of Truckers Against Trafficking. This means that thousands more will become educated and equipped about the realities of domestic sex trafficking and how they can help end it. When the trucking and truck stop associations take the lead in their state it causes their membership to understand the importance of this issue and get behind it themselves.”
The Nevada Trucking Association will distribute informational DVDs for its member companies to use during training, orientation and safety seminars. Wallet-size cards will also be provided to members with information about how to recognize trafficking and what to do when it’s suspected.
For our part the Nevada Petroleum Marketers Association will use it weekly email bulletins, quarterly magazine and website www.fuelingnevada.com to promote awareness. We will make available to our members all the materials available from the Truckers Against Trafficking.
Assemblyman John Hambrick who has introduced legislation aimed at strengthening Nevada’s human trafficking laws, who will also be in attendance stated, “I am very pleased that the Nevada trucking industry and the truck stop owners have entered the war against human trafficking. This scourge must be stopped. All of us have seen the media reports on children as young as eleven being prostituted by men who are making thousands upon thousands of dollars selling the bodies of our children. We now have two allies that can have a direct effective on fighting this war.”
The DOJ estimates that currently 100,000 to 300,000 of America’s children are at risk for entering the sex for sale industry each year. Human trafficking is estimated to be the second most lucrative crime in world with annual revenue of $32 billion.
For more information please contact:
Paul Enos, CEO, Nevada Trucking Association Peter Krueger NV Petroleum Marketers
775.673.6111 /[email protected] 775-398-3000/ [email protected]
