TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Florida’s Attorney General Ashley Moody is partnering with Uber in an effort to crack down on human trafficking.
Moody is now working with Uber to host human trafficking education training classes for Uber drivers.
“We have been training this entire year, not just law enforcement, but people in the community and certain businesses that will be in the position to see signs of human trafficking,” Moody said.
Uber believes the new partnership will lead to more human trafficking arrests in the state.
“A lot of these victims don’t know how to get help and if our drivers can work with law enforcement and community organizations in spotting these cases and helping these victims get the help they need, then we think it’s good for our community and for our state,” Javier Correoso, with Uber Public Affairs said.
More than 100,000 Uber drivers will participate in the training. Several trainings have already taken place in South Florida ahead of the Superbowl.
“What’s clear as we do host these large scale events, history tells us it will necessarily drive more traffickers to the state,” Moody said. “We never want to lay off hosting these events, but we also don’t ever want to turn a blind eye to what that brings with it.”
According to Moody, there were over 160 arrests related to human trafficking in Atlanta last year connected to the Super Bowl. That’s why the pair say they are hosting the trainings. Drivers will learn how to detect signs of human trafficking and ways to report it.
This news is comforting to Uber drivers like Priscilla Wilcox.
“I think it’s a good idea to get training to know signs about detecting any kid of trafficking,” Wilcox said.
Uber and the State’s Attorney General’s Office says the trainings will continue throughout the year.
LATEST STORIES:
