State officials creating initiatives to train truck drivers to spot human trafficking

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Training truck drivers to spot human trafficking is the goal of a new program launched by the state human trafficking task force.

State Attorney General Alan Wilson says human trafficking is on the rise.

“The United States is the number 1 destination of human trafficking and South Carolina as a state sits between 2 of the top 20 human trafficking hubs in the country. That is Charlotte and Atlanta,” Attorney General Alan Wilson says.

In the state, Charleston County is the second worst when it comes to human trafficking. In 2020, 139 cases were reported statewide and 179 victim cases were reported just through the hotline.

Attorney General Alan Wilson is promoting a free course for truck drivers to learn how to identify and stop human trafficking and advocates say they will also learn what to say to victims.

“They can ask if they need help, if are they okay, and if they know where they are. Getting them familiar with the training that they take will help them get familiar with the questions and know what to ask,” says Sheila Roemeling, Founder and Executive Director of Fresh Starts Healing Hearts.

Officials believe this campaign will help identify and protect those in need.

“My hope for this program and for this campaign is that we make it so hard for traffickers to be doing what they’re doing in South Carolina, that they’ll never do it again,” Wilson says.

The goal is to sign up more than 100-thousand truck drivers with commercial licenses for the online course “Truckers Against Trafficking.”

Click here for details on how to register: https://humantrafficking.scag.gov/home-2/sc-highway-heroes/