Officials are taking the fight to end human trafficking to the front lines by launching a campaign called “The Route Ends Here.”
The Kristi House, a child advocacy center in Miami-Dade, teamed up with county commissioners to launch a one-of-a-kind training seminar to teach employees how to identify victims of human trafficking.
"My staff recognized a serious weakness in our airport system," said Trudy Novick, executive director of the Kristi House.
Children can often travel freely without question through airports and seaports, making it easy for traffickers to target and exploit them.
"I strongly feel that this training we are doing here at Miami International Airport and the Port of Miami can save lives," said Commissioner Jose "Pepe" Diaz.
The unique training program was launched for the first time nationwide at Miami International Airport.
Ken Pyatt, deputy director of operations at MIA, said he noticed the need for the program after a victim told him her story – the pain in her eyes going unnoticed by a preoccupied agent taking her boarding pass.
"And what she said was, if you looked into her eyes you could see that she was crying out for help," said Pyatt. "That of course, as an airport employee, hit a very strong chord with us."
The statistics are staggering. Traffickers make $32 billion a year in profits from over 27 million victims worldwide. The number one group at risk is American runaways.
But with initiatives like the one announced Thursday, officials say an extra set of eyes and ears will help send out a strong message.
"Our children in this county, in this nation, and internationally are not for sale," Novick said.
Florida is ranked as one of the top three entry point states in the country for human trafficking, following California and New York.
So far, close to 400 employees at MIA and the Port of Miami have been trained.
Officials urge anyone who notices suspicious behavior to contact police or 1-800-96-ABUSE.
