Sign petition for Super Bowl Host Committee to incorporate anti-trafficking PSA

With the 2011 Super Bowl just around the corner, football fans everywhere will be flocking to the Dallas area in person and via TV to take part in one of the world's ultimate sporting events.

Sadly, the Super Bowl also draws a crowd of human traffickers selling young children and teenage girls for sex. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott gave a public address in which he said, “the Super Bowl is one of the biggest human trafficking events in the United States.” He has vowed to combat traffickers by teaming up with local law enforcement and has created a task force to kick traffickers out of the Super Bowl.

In addition, the Dallas local anti-trafficking organization Traffick911, has a created a PSA and other materials with the help of former New England Patriot Devin Wyman. In the Public Service Announcement he addresses child sex trafficking and aks other men to join him in protecting kids.

Traffick911 has been trying to get th 2011 Super Bowl Host Committee to join the anti-trafficking cause by adding the PSA and free posters, flyers, etc... to the Super Bowl marketing and ad campaigns. So far they have had little success.


HOW YOU CAN HELP
Sign the petition to the 2011 Super Bowl Host Committee to add the Traffick911 PSA and materials to their Super Bowl campaign. Over 57,000 people have signed already. It literally takes 1 minute to sign the petition and with your help, we can create greater awareness and advertising reach to end sex trafficking in Dallas.

SIGN THE PETITION TODAY

Human trafficking and the 2011 Super Bowl in Dallas, TX

Last week the Texas State Attorney General, Greg Abbott, announced he would be sending a dozen staff members from his human trafficking task force to assist local law enforcement in cracking down on human trafficking during the 2011 Super Bowl.

"The Super Bowl is one of the biggest human trafficking events in the United States," Abbott said.

During the 2009 Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida, the Florida State Department of Children and Families took in 24 minors who had been trafficked to the Tampa area as Sex Slaves for the Super Bowl. These were just the ones that were found.

In 2010. the Women's Funding Network found an increase of 80% in Craigslist sex ads during the Super Bowl. Craigslist recently shut down their "Adult Services" section after receiving over 10,000 petition signatures from the public and pressure from a number of State Attorney Generals.

Although no one knows exactly how many people will be trafficked to North Texas for the Super Bowl in February 2011, anti-trafficking organizations estimate it will be in the thousands.

This is partially due to the fact that the U.S. Department of Justice estimates that over 14,500 people are trafficked into the United States each year and 25% of all trafficked persons come through Texas.

According to a report by Shared Hope International, which investigates human trafficking in major cities, the Dallas Police Department, Child Exploitation/High Risk Victims & Trafficking Unit has created a unique and effective investigative tool to combat domestic minor sex trafficking. The Dallas Police Department, Child Exploitation/High Risk Victims & Trafficking Unit (CE/HRVTU) has developed an investigative tool to identify high risk victims (HRV) by flagging all minors who have run away from home four or more times in one year, as well as any minors that are repeat victims of sexual abuse or sexual exploitation. In 2007, CE/HRVTU identified 189 HRV cases 119 of which involved prostitution.

Of those High Risk Victims cases, 75% included felony charges specifically related to domestic minor sex trafficking.

A number of local organizations are joining in the effort to raise awareness and support ground work in recognizing and reporting human trafficking for the Super Bowl 2011. You can learn more about these groups and how you can help by clicking the links below.

Texas Anti-Trafficking Organizations:
Traffick 911
Free the Captives
Mosaic Family Services

Read all 64 pages of the full Dallas report by Shared Hope International
http://www.sharedhope.org/Portals/0/Documents/Dallas_PrinterFriendly.pdf

Stories about previous Super Bowls and Trafficking.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/02/05/1463956/volunteers-hope-to-rescue-child.html
http://humantrafficking.change.org/blog/view/the_results_are_in_sex_trafficking_at_the_superbowl

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