|

Secretary of state talks human trafficking awareness with Waterloo Rotary Club

 

WATERLOO — Human trafficking is a complex, international issue.

But right here in Iowa, Secretary of State Paul Pate wants businesses and nonprofit organizations to know they can play a role by becoming aware of the signs and how to respond appropriately.

He spoke to a crowd of about 50 people at the Waterloo Rotary Club on Monday at the Waterloo Convention Center, detailing his fairly new Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking (IBAT) program.

As part of his 30-minute presentation and brief question and answer, he explained a universal signal victims can use to subtly make onlookers aware they're in trouble and need help: Raising one's hand and then closing it while trapping the thumb.

It's one of the many takeaways a business or organization could get by listening to Pate or joining IBAT. Founded in January 2022, the program brings about a commitment to learn and promote to the thousands who are forced to perform labor, sex or other services.

They can join by filling out a simple application at ibat.iowa.gov.

“What we found from the Department of Public Safety is that public awareness has gone up dramatically,” said Pate after giving his presentation. “It's one of those issues that slipped between the cracks for so long. Myself and others putting a focus on it has really helped raised that awareness and I think it will help send a message to the bad actors that Iowa isn't a place to play.

“I'm excited about getting my colleagues in other states to join me in this. If we all do it, then they run out of places to hide.”

Nearly 670 businesses and nonprofit organizations from more than 92 counties have joined the program, including Pate's own construction businesses. He emphasizes businesses of all sizes can become a part of the “choir” that advocates and helps call out the bad actors who are preying upon adults – but also children as young as 10 or 12 years old.

It's led vehicle billboards to pop up and signs on public restroom stall doors to be posted to give people who may be in trouble the phone number or directions to get help.

More specifically, the program gets the members involved on and online as part of the fight. They're also given a sticker to post on a window or door of their brick-and-mortar business to signal to patrons their participation.

Pate had learned about the issue at a seminar and was shocked that, as the former mayor of Cedar Rapids, he didn't know of human trafficking's prevalence in in Iowa.

“I thought I knew my own town,” he said, admitting to being overwhelmed and taken aback by the information. “We had to do something and do more with this.”

The program's creation came after he had already formed the Iowa Safe at Home program, started in part to eliminate the home addresses of what's now 1,200 , violence and stalking victims from the public record.

He didn't want victims who've voted to be penalized for fulfilling their public duty.

But Pate also emphasized that his office is a “tool” for the IBAT program, one with . But he refrained from calling anyone in his department the “experts.”

“Our goal is to build an army of individuals who are knowledgeable and out there putting the message out there and making it hard for folks to do it,” he said, explaining it's a far more complicated issue than what may be portrayed in the movies.

“I'm hoping to use my statewide position as a bully pulpit to raise awareness,” he said.

Pate wants people to look for unusual behavior and be alert enough to act but also leave the actual locking up of the criminals to . Hotels, motels and trucking companies have taken big roles in addressing what he described as an “international issue” and “clearly a form of slavery.”

Memorial Day is the unofficial first day of summer and with travel plans often the case for many, here are the best and worst times to do so.

“It's a huge concern, even more than we realize in the Cedar Valley,” said Annie Vander Werff, Rotary president. “And calling attention to it in any way that we can is important.”

In fact, the Waterloo Rotary Club received funding through its district for cross cultural training that's played a small role in getting students involved in the fight against .

“The more we can have the conversation and bring awareness to trafficking the better,” she said.

Erin Tink, executive director of Waterloo Community Foundation, expressed her appreciation for Pate's “openness on a very difficult issue” as well as his effort to point out the different nuances and complexities of human trafficking.

She had not been aware of Pate's program and was encouraged to know his office is building a network of people who are more aware and educated.

“I think it is the right approach” to give businesses “a very tangible role,” she said.

The purpose of Pate's other program, Safe At Home, to keep certain victims addresses out of public records “makes perfect sense,” said Jordan Bancroft, executive director of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony.

“His talk today got me thinking about what we could be doing,” he added.

 

This “Eyes on Trafficking” story is reprinted from its original online location.

ABOUT

PBJ Learning is a leading provider of online human trafficking training, focusing on awareness and prevention education. Their interactive Human Trafficking Essentials is used worldwide to educate professionals and individuals how to recognize human trafficking and how to respond to potential victims. Learn on any web browser (even your mobile phone) at any time.

More stories like this can be found in your PBJ Learning Knowledge Vault.

 

EYES ON TRAFFICKING

This “Eyes on Trafficking” story is reprinted from its original online location.

ABOUT PBJ LEARNING

PBJ Learning is a leading provider of online human trafficking training, focusing on awareness and prevention education. Their interactive Human Trafficking Essentials online course is used worldwide to educate professionals and individuals how to recognize human trafficking and how to respond to potential victims. Learn on any web browser (even your mobile phone) at any time.

More stories like this can be found in your PBJ Learning Knowledge Vault.