advertisement

---

Yesterday, Amtrak President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Boardman joined U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to announce a new partnership aimed at combating human trafficking.

Amtrak will work with the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to train more than 8,000 frontline transportation employees and Amtrak Police Department officers to identify and recognize indicators of human trafficking, as well as how to report suspected cases, USDOT officials said in a prepared statement.

Earlier this year, President Obama directed his administration to increase efforts to eliminate human trafficking.

"We cannot let the American transportation system be an enabler in these criminal acts," said LaHood.

In addition to the partnership with DHS and Amtrak, the USDOT is working with all modes of transportation to help stop the flow of human trafficking, he said.

"Amtrak is supportive of the DHS and DOT initiative to improve human trafficking awareness in the transportation industry, and is proud to be the first partner in a program that will expand across the transportation sector," said Boardman.