Issues@Hand

AFA initiatives, Christian activism, news briefs

March 2014 – The Super Bowl is one of the biggest events of the year for sports and for advertising. But it is also one of the biggest events for sex trafficking. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), co-chairman of the House anti-human trafficking caucus, said, “New Jersey has a huge trafficking problem. One Super Bowl after another has shown itself to be one of the largest events in the world where the cruelty of human trafficking goes on for several weeks.”

Danielle Douglas, a sex-trafficking survivor and advocate for those still trapped in trafficking, said, “The Super Bowl is a huge, huge arena for sex trafficking. Some visitors are not even coming to the Super Bowl to watch football.” She said they come with the intention of taking advantage of men, women and even children.

Shortly after the announcement that the Super Bowl would take place in the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, local churches began handing out fliers informing their congregations how to spot trafficking victims. Many truck drivers underwent training to spot people who may be held against their will. Police officers were put through extensive training to learn how to spot trafficking and rescue those in it.

Attorney General John Hoffman said, “We’ve enlisted every service provider that people coming to the Super Bowl are going to run into. There are a lot of eyes that are going to be on their activities and spotting potential victims of this crime.”

dailymail.co.uk, 1/6/14