Human Trafficking * USA - Organization urges truckers to speak out against prostitution problem

Oklahoma City,OK,USA -Land Line Magazine, by Clarissa Kell-Holland -4 May 2011: -- A truck stop in Oklahoma City made headlines recently after a judge ordered the owners to crack down on their prostitution problem or face being shut down...  While Oklahoma City police investigators told recently that human trafficking was not a factor at that particular truck stop, it’s on the rise at an alarming rate at truck stops around the country...  Many drivers admit they are annoyed by the “lot lizards” who knock on their doors, waking them up from their critical rest periods, sometimes several times a night. But few complain to truck stop managers or employees while they are parked and just head back out on the road because they don’t want the hassle...  One organization, Truckers Against Trafficking – or TAT – and Chapter 61 Ministries is urging truck drivers to be a voice and get involved in the critical fight against human trafficking. TAT estimates that between 200,000 and 300,000 individuals are being trafficked in the U.S. each year, many forced to work as sex slaves at truck stops... (Image from mexicotrucker - Laredo TX,USA -June 2010: American trucker busted with 48 illegals in trailer. Like the majority of truckers caught hauling contraband, American trucker Wayne West of Balch Springs Texas was doing it to make a few extra bucks)