In an effort to raise awareness of sex and labor trafficking in Orange County, OCTA joined other members of the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force (OCHTTF) on Aug. 19 at a press conference at the Anaheim Police Department. OCTA Chair Jeff Lalloway, also the Mayor Pro Tem of Irvine, and CEO Darrell Johnson attended the event.
Last year, OCTA became a formal partner with OCHTTF, an 80-member group that includes law enforcement, victim service providers, nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations, government agencies and the community. Because perpetrators and victims of human trafficking are more likely to rely on public transportation, OCTA took action by implementing a campaign to increase public awareness and help victims.
This year, OCTA is expanding its efforts, launching a two-year public-awareness campaign and continuing to educate the men and women who operate OCTA buses on how to spot victims and how to get help from law enforcement.
The latest “Be the One (BT1)” campaign includes a one-minute video about human trafficking that will be shown on social media and YouTube and as an online public-service message on major news websites. Watch the video below.
Two buses fully wrapped in an anti-human trafficking message will travel the streets of Orange County, encouraging the public to “Be The One” to speak up and help a victim break free. The BT1 campaign will include information in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. Throughout the year, OCTA will continue to raise awareness of this modern day slavery through communications on its buses and on social media.
As a collaborative partner that received strong support and training, OCTA is a vital force in the public safety awareness efforts for the task force. To learn more about human trafficking and how OCTA is helping to fight it, please click here.
