Human Trafficking Awareness
Metro is vigilant in supporting awareness by working to prevent human trafficking on our system.
If this is an emergency, call 911.
What Is Human Trafficking
Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain labor or commercial sex. Victims can be any age, race, ethnicity, gender, sex, or nationality, and they can come from any socioeconomic background.
Any minor (under the age of 18) engaged in commercial sex is a victim of human trafficking according to federal law, regardless of whether there is force, fraud, or coercion.
Human Smuggling vs. Human Trafficking
Human smuggling and human trafficking are different crimes.
Human smuggling is the illegal movement of someone across a border. Human trafficking is the illegal exploitation of a person.
What to Look For
Recognizing human trafficking is the first step in combating this heinous crime. Learning the indicators and reporting tips helps law enforcement identify victims and connect them with the care and services they need.
The indicators listed below may help you recognize human trafficking, but any one indicator is not necessarily proof of human trafficking.
Social
Does the person:
- Work excessively long and/or unusual hours?
- Show sudden or dramatic changes in behavior?
- Act fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous/paranoid?
- Defer to another person to speak for them?
- Appear to be coached on what to say?
- Appear disconnected from family, friends, community organizations, or places of worship?
- Not able to freely leave where they live?
Physical
Does the person:
- Show signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint, confinement, or torture?
- Appear to be deprived of food, water, sleep, medical care, or other necessities?
- Lack personal possessions?
How to Report
In case of an emergency:
- Call 911
- Use Station call boxes
- Emergency intercoms
- Emergency call buttons available on trains.
If you think you are being trafficked and need help, contact:
- California Department of Justice Victims’ Services Unit
- Call: 877.433.9069
- Email: victimsservices@doj.ca.gov
- The National Human Trafficking Hotline (not a law enforcement or immigration authority:
- Call: 888.373.7888
- Text: 233-733 (Be Free)
If transit riders have any information or suspicious activity to report that they suspect involves human trafficking, please contact Metro Security:
- Call: 888.950.7233 (SAFE)
- Text: 213.788.2777
- Use the Transit Watch app. With the app, you can include photos or video and submit a report anonymously.
Our Employees are Trained to Report
Metro works closely with its law enforcement agencies to remain vigilant in monitoring for suspicious activities on public transit.
We are committed to addressing human trafficking on transit by training all our nearly 10,000 employees and law enforcement contractors on how to identify and report human trafficking. Training is mandatory for employees.
