New Bill Works To Fight Human Trafficking In Baltimore
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- New protections are going in place to combat human trafficking in Baltimore. The City Council passed and the mayor signed a whistleblower protections bill Wednesday.
Pat Warren explains what it does.
Maryland is considered a hot spot for human trafficking because of its central location along the I-95 corridor, making Baltimore a pass-through as well as a destination.
"It's like somebody taking everything that you have, all the breath in your body, for them," said one. "It's terrible."
"It makes hundreds of thousands of young people in our country vulnerable," said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.
And victims tell their stories.
"It's a horrible experience. I can definitely speak first-hand on it," said one.
"We're being more vigilant, we're being more aggressive and lending the much-needed aid," Rawlings-Blake said.
A new law protects employees who report suspected trafficking.
"It allows them to come forward and not run the risk of losing their job," said Jim Kraft. "And if they do lose their job, then there are penalties that can be imposed."
Not surprisingly, hotel and motel workers may be in a position to report sex trafficking but labor trafficking may be even more prevalent, covering more territory.
"Folks bring them here, they are paid to bring them here, and they in effect become indentured servants, indentured slaves to these people who have to work that money off and many times it takes years to work that money off," Kraft said. "We need to stop that, also."
And protecting whistleblowers is seen as one way to fight back.
Maryland Hotel & Lodging Association is committed to addressing human trafficking, working with Housing and Health Departments.
This is the latest in a number of moves on the state and local level to combat human trafficking.
