Bay Area Anti-Trafficking Coalition

BAY AREA ANTI-TRAFFICKING WORKS TO FIGHT AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN THE BAY AREA AND BEYOND.

IN 2020, BAATC MOVED AWAY FROM GENERAL AWARENESS TRAININGS AND INSTEAD HAS IDENTIFIED COMMON PLACES THAT TRAFFICKERS OPERATE THEIR BUSINESS OF EXPLOITING PEOPLE. THESE PLACES ARE WHERE TRAININGS FOR TRAFFICKING IDENTIFICATION ARE NEEDED MOST. BAATC CALLS THIS THE "MOVE, WORK, SLEEP" CYCLE, WHICH INCLUDES PLACES WHERE TRAFFICKING VICTIMS HAVE TO "MOVE" THROUGH, WHERE THEY HAVE TO "WORK, AND WHERE THEY HAVE TO "SLEEP." BAATC'S MODEL TO DISRUPT THE BUSINESS OF TRAFFICKING INCLUDES TRAINING FRONTLINE EMPLOYEES AT THESE PLACES TO RECOGNIZE AND REPORT TRAFFICKING, THUS PREVENTING TRAFFICKERS FROM COMMITTING THEIR CRIMES AT THESE KEY LOCATIONS. ONE OF THESE KEY INDUSTRIES IS AIRPORTS, THROUGH WHICH TRAFFICKERS OFTEN MOVE THEIR VICTIMS. IN FISCAL YEAR 2020-21, BAATC EXECUTED TRAININGS OF EMPLOYEES AT SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, RESULTING IN 1,000 CUSTOMER-FACING EMPLOYEES CERTIFIED THROUGH OUR ONLINE HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS COURSE. WITH THE ONSET OF COVID, BAATC QUICKLY ADJUSTED TO BECOMING AN ONLINE TRAINING ORGANIZATION EXECUTING OUR PROGRAM ON A LMS (LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM) COMPATIBLE WITH AIRPORTS IN THE REGION. BAATC WORKED WITH A RESEARCHER FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY TO EVALUATE THE EFFICACY OF THIS TRAINING. FROM THIS BASE OF EXPERIENCE, BAATC HAS BEGUN ROLLING OUT THIS ONLINE TRAINING TO OTHER AIRPORTS IN CALIFORNIA AND TO AIRPORTS AROUND THE U.S.BAATC WROTE AND PRODUCED A SHORT FILM IN 2020 THAT HIGHLIGHTED OUR UNIQUE FRONTLINE TRAINING WORK, WHICH LED TO A SIX-MONTH LONG CAMPAIGN TO FUNDRAISE TOWARD DEVELOPING AND MARKETING OUR ONLINE AIRPORT TRAINING. THIS FILM, BRING THE LIGHT, WAS ALSO USED AS PART OF TWO VIRTUAL EVENTS TO EXPAND OUR DONOR BASE, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO MONTHLY DONORS, AND TO CHALLENGE OUR CURRENT DONORS TO CONTINUOUSLY FUND THIS EFFORT.

COLLABORATION:BAATC IS CONTINUING TO BE INVOLVED IN THE WORK OF TASK FORCES OR COALITIONS IN SEVEN BAY AREA COUNTIES, WITH THE GOAL OF CONNECTING ALL WHO ARE INVOLVED IN FIGHTING TRAFFICKING IN ORDER TO SHARE RESOURCES, DEVELOP BEST PRACTICES, AND AVOID DUPLICATION OF EFFORTS. THE WORK TO FIGHT LOCAL TRAFFICKING REQUIRES COORDINATION AMONG A DIVERSE GROUP OF AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS, SO BAATC REMAINS ACTIVE IN NUMEROUS REGIONAL TASK FORCES AND COALITIONS IN ORDER TO FACILITATE COLLABORATION AND DEEPEN RELATIONAL CONNECTIONS.