CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Truckers have a big role to play in preventing human trafficking.
Attorney General Patrick Morrisey’s office held an event at the NiSource Auditorium in Charleston Tuesday to unite trucking industry leaders and law enforcement in the fight against trafficking and adult and child sex exploitation.
“Attorney General Morrisey was on board from the beginning to bring everybody together so we could network and address the issue as law enforcement and the trucking industry, so we can combat the problem,” said Joe Crawford an investigator with the attorney general’s office.
A pamphlet was distributed outlining several tips and signs of possible human trafficking at truck stops. Crawford said that truck stops are often the hotspots for illicit activity.
“If you look historically there’s been some previous cases in the state of West Virginia,” he said. “What we’re seeing is that that’s where a lot of these cases originate now is out of the trucking industry and out of truck stops.”
Crawford explained that West Virginia is prone to trafficking crimes, mainly because of the fact that three major interstates run through the state.
“When you look at the demographics and the layout of West Virginia, it’s very lucrative and conducive to being able to traffic humans.”
The organization, Truckers Against Trafficking, has a free training DVD that can be accessed on the web at truckersagainsttrafficking.org.