.
. SO
. SO IF
. SO IF YOU'VE BEEN TO SEATAC AIRPORT IN THE LAST FEW YEARS,
YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN SIGNS LIKE
THIS INFORMATION TARGETED AT
VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
IT'S WRITTEN IN MULTIPLE
LANGUAGES AND PRIVATE AREAS
LIKE THE BATHROOM.
NOW THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE
THINGS BEING DONE TO END
TRAFFICKING IN OUR AREA.
TO LEARN MORE, I SPOKE WITH
MARK BREITMAN FROM BUSINESS
ENDING SLAVERY AND TRAFFICKING
AND REBECCA COVINGTON, A
SURVIVOR AND VICTIM ADVOCATE
AMERICAN INVASION REALLY WANTS
TO SEE HUMAN TRAFFICKING
VICTIMS BE ABLE TO ACCESS HELP
WHEN THEY NEED IT AND WE HAVE
BEEN ABSOLUTELY THRILLED THAT
THE PORT OF SEATTLE HAS COME SO
LONG AS A PARTNER AND SAID YES,
WE WANT TO BE A HUB WHERE HUMAN
TRAFFICKING VICTIMS CAN
POTENTIALLY ACCESS HELP.
SO THEY PUT UP SIGNS AND OVER
THREE HUNDRED RESTROOMS AND
PASSAGEWAYS THERE AT THE
AIRPORT AND NOW IN THE LAST
YEAR THEY'VE TRAINED EIGHTY ONE
PERCENT OF THEIR STAFF WHICH
HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING
.
IT'S REALLY THEY'RE REALLY
LEADING THE COUNTRY IN THE WAY
THAT THEY'RE MANAGING THE
SITUATION AND REACHING OUT TO
VICTIMS TO BECOME A HUB FOR BIG
FOR THE SEATTLE FOR THAT REALLY
STEPPING UP WHAT THAT TRAINING
LOOK LIKE FOR THE EMPLOYEES.
WELL, THE TRAINING WALKS
THROUGH WHAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING
IS AND THEN WHAT IS IT LOOK
LIKE?
IT MAY LOOK LIKE CONTROL.
IT MAY LOOK LIKE COERSION.
IT MAY LOOK LIKE SOMEONE IN
DISTRESS OR WHO'S INJURED.
IT MAY ALSO LOOK LIKE SOMEONE
WHO'S VERY CONFUSED.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE
OR WHERE THEY'RE GOING, WHO
THEY'RE WITH AND SO WE TEACH
THOSE INDICATORS AND THEN ALSO
WHAT A BYSTANDER CAN DO IF THEY
THINK THEY RECOGNIZE THOSE
INDICATORS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING
.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WITH COVID-19
INDIVIDUALS ARE MORE VULNERABLE
TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING SO PEOPLE
ARE FEELING MORE ISOLATED RIGHT
NOW AND FINANCIALLY STRUGGLING
TO REALLY MEET THEIR BASIC
NEEDS.
AND SO THIS IS WHY THE SAFE
JOBS COLLABORATIVE IS SO
IMPORTANT TO REALLY HELP
SURVIVORS AND AT RISK YOUTH
FIND VIABLE INTERNSHIPS AND
PLACES OF EMPLOYMENT DURING
THESE TIMES AND THAT'S HUGE.
AND THE PORT OF SEATTLE IS ALSO
KIND OF HELPING THAT, CORRECT?
YES, THEY ARE THEY HAVE BEEN
FANTASTIC.
THEY ARE ACTUALLY GIVING BEST A
PRETTY LARGE AREA TO BE ABLE TO
REALLY EMPLOY SURVIVORS
OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN SOUTH
KING COUNTY BECAUSE IF YOU GIVE
SOMEONE THE MEANS TO ESCAPE IT
IS REALLY THE KEY CORRECT?
ABSOLUTELY.
I KNOW THAT WHEN I WAS LEAVING
MY TRAFFICKING SITUATION I
DIDN'T HAVE THOSE RESOURCES
THAT WE HAVE NOW.
THERE WAS NO ORGANIZATION LIKE,
YOU KNOW, BEST OR SAFE JOBS TO
HELP ME FIND THAT PLACE
OF EMPLOYMENT.
AND SO EVEN AFTER GRADUATING
THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, I
STILL HAD THAT BARRIER OF A
CRIMINAL RECORD BEHIND ME.
AND SO I KNEW THAT THAT ACCESS
THAT I WANTED TO THESE JOBS
WHERE I COULD MOVE UP IN
COMPANIES JUST WASN'T THERE.
AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO CREATE
THESE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE
IF THERE IS SOMEONE OUT THERE
RIGHT NOW THAT HAPPENS TO BE
LISTENING THAT MIGHT BE IN A
SITUATION LIKE YOU ARE IN, WHAT
WOULD YOU SAY?
YEAH, I THINK I WOULD SAY THAT
WE HAVE THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE
NOW.
YOU KNOW, SAFE JOBS IS ABLE TO
ACT AS THAT BRIDGE IN BETWEEN
SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES AND
BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITY AND
BUSINESSES WANT TO BE MORE
INCLUSIVE AND HIRE NO MATTER
YOUR BACKGROUND, WHAT YOU'VE
BEEN THROUGH IN LIFE AND WE
HAVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES
AVAILABLE NOW FOR SOMEONE WHO
ISN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE INS AND
OUTS OF WHAT HAPPENS, ANYONE
ANYONE IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO BEING
VICTIMIZED BY HUMAN
TRAFFICKING.
CORRECT.
TRAFFICKING. CORRECT. HUMAN TRAFFICKING HAS NO FACE.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING CAN HAPPEN TO
ANYONE ALTHOUGH IT DEFINITELY
DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTS
MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.
SO RUNAWAY YOUTH LGBTQ TRANS
YOUTH EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS MORE
THAT PEOPLE CAN DO LIKE TO HELP
OUT BEST.
YES, WE ARE A NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION SO WE LOVE TO HAVE
VOLUNTEERS HELP US AND
OF COURSE IS A GOOD EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR.
IT WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T
SAY THAT WE NEED FUNDING
SUPPORT SO WE DO NEED SUPPORT
FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THAT IS
WHAT MAY HAVE MADE US ABLE TO
OFFER THE SERVICES THAT REBECCA
WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT.
AND ON MY LAST QUESTION TO YOU
IS ONE POINT I REMEMBER WHEN I
FIRST STARTED LOOKING INTO THIS
ISSUE COVERING THIS ISSUE FOR
KING , THE KING COUNTY AND THIS
AREA SEATTLE'S PARTICULARLY
SUSCEPTIBLE AND PRETTY MUCH A
HOTSPOT FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
IS THAT STILL THE CASE?
WELL, THERE'S LIMITED
SO
SO IT'S
SO IT'S HARD TO KNOW WHERE WHERE THE WORST HOTSPOTS ARE.
BUT WE DO KNOW WE HAVE A LOT
OF THINGS THAT MAKES IT
VULNERABLE TO TRAFFICKING SO WE
HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE FIVE
CORRIDOR WE HAVE MAJOR PORT.
WE ALSO HAVE A YOU KNOW, AN
INTERNATIONAL BORDER.
SO WE CERTAINLY ARE SEEING A
LARGE NUMBER TOO MANY CASES
OF TRAFFICKING HAPPENING EVERY
YEAR IN OUR REGION.
SO IF YOU NEED HELP OR IF YOU
SEE SOMETHING THAT MAY BE HUMAN
TRAFFICKING, CALL THE NATIONAL
HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOTLINE.
THAT NUMBER IS ON YOUR SCREEN.