8a Human Trafficking memo
COMMISSION AGENDA MEMORANDUM Item No. 8a BRIEFING ITEM Date of Meeting July 24, 2018 DATE: June 26, 2018 TO: Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director FROM: Eric Schinfeld, Sr. Manager, Federal & International Government Relations SUBJECT: Six-Month Progress Report on Port-wide Human Trafficking Strategy Implementation ACTION REQUESTED Request Commission extension of training and public awareness campaign deadlines for completion of actions identified in the January 9 human trafficking motion (Motion 2018-01) to December 31, 2018. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY On January 9, the Port of Seattle Commission passed a motion directing staff to finalize and implement a Port-wide strategy to combat human trafficking. By taking that step, the Commission has increased our organization's leadership role on this important topic, for which we not only have a moral obligation to protect residents and visitors but also a tangible role because of our status as both a large employer and as the manager of significant trade and travel facilities. We have made substantial progress in all aspect of our strategy's implementation from the creation of an internal policy to ensure our all employees understand our commitment to this vital equity and social justice issue to trainings that have reached hundreds of Port employees. Importantly, we have also developed some key partnerships with other regional public and private sector leaders that will allow us to maximize our impact in reducing human trafficking in our region. While we could have completed most of the strategy tactics by now, we have decided instead to take a slower approach to allow for more partner engagement. For example, the Port has been ready since March to conduct our own public awareness campaign, but instead is waiting on the City of Seattle, Sound Transit and King County to go through their internal process so that we can do a regional collaboration on this effort instead. Similarly, we are engaging local nonprofits to develop training curriculum and materials rather than doing it ourselves to ensure widespread community engagement in this work. Given that change in strategy, staff is requesting that the Commission extend the deadlines for the public awareness campaign and staff training efforts until the end of the year. DETAILS Scope of Work Template revised April 12, 2018. COMMISSION AGENDA Briefing Item No. 8a Page 2 of 6 Meeting Date: July 24, 2018 In particular, the Port's human trafficking strategy has four main focus areas: 1) Training Ensuring that all employees have access to the proper training and education to understand both what human trafficking is as well as its impacts on our communities. 2) Communications Utilizing port facilities and communications channels to raise public awareness of human trafficking, and provide information to stop trafficking taking place at our facilities. 3) Partnerships Leveraging relationships to reduce duplication and to maximize the impact of our efforts, including collaborating with nonprofits; local, state and federal agencies; and key customers and vendors. 4) Policies & Protocols Ensuring that Port policies prohibit engagement in human trafficking, and provide clear procedures for employees to follow to report suspicion of human trafficking and violations of these policies. Schedule The Commission's January motion lays out the following deadlines for implementation By March 31, 2018, staff shall finalize a comprehensive strategy and implement an initial set of actions, including but not limited to: o developing a curriculum and planning trainings for the most relevant Port employees; o joining key alliances and committees to ensure the Port's engagement on this topic regionally; o conducting initial awareness raising through media and communications efforts to users of the Port's facilities and local residents; and o advocating at the state and federal level for policy changes that further the Port's and region's human trafficking reduction efforts. By June 30, 2018, staff shall implement substantial aspects of the Port's comprehensive anti-trafficking strategy, including but not limited to: o developing a curriculum and planning for making training broadly available to all Port employees; o ensuring that Port policies and our Code of Conduct fully restricts employee engagement in any aspect of trafficking; o installing signage in Port facilities that helps increase awareness of this issue and reduces trafficking in our region; and o exploring implementation of a final tier of tactics. By December 31, 2018, staff shall have begun implementation of those final tier tactics that not only are most achievable but also have the broadest return on investment in terms of multiplying the Port's impact on reducing human trafficking. In particular, staff should focus on collaborations with tenants, vendors, concessionaires, contractors and partners such as the Northwest Seaport Alliance. To best summarize our progress to-date, staff have created the below matrix. Template revised September 22, 2016. Template revised September 22, 2016. COMMISSION AGENDA Briefing Item No. 8a Page 3 of 6 Meeting Date: July 24, 2018 Required Tactic January Completed Specific Next Steps Motion Accomplishments Deadline Developing a March 31, No The Port has held Work with Port curriculum, 2018 three trainings for Police on the planning Port employees implementation of trainings for key (including one their training plan. Port employees specifically for Port Request Commission (mainly law police), reaching update their motion enforcement) over 200 to make this a employees December 31, 2018 The Trafficking deadline. Training Subcommittee has finalized an RFP to request outside help in developing and conducting trainings The Police Department has developed a curriculum for all officers that they will begin to roll out at the end of the year. Joining key March 31, Yes The Port has joined The Port will host the alliances and 2018 Businesses Against 2018 Statewide committees Slavery and Commercially Sexually Trafficking's Exploited Children's Employer Alliance, Task Force Conference the King County at the Sea-Tac Commercially Conference Center in Sexually Exploited October 2018. Children Task Force and the Washington Advisory Committee on Trafficking. We also sponsored a table at the 2018 Stolen Youth Template revised September 22, 2016. Template revised September 22, 2016. COMMISSION AGENDA Briefing Item No. 8a Page 4 of 6 Meeting Date: July 24, 2018 Luncheon. Conducting March 31, Yes Held a press Planning for similar initial awareness 2018 conference to activities when we raising announce our launch our regional initiative, and posted public awareness signage at Sea-Tac campaign, and for the throughout January January 2019 Human in honor of Human Trafficking Awareness Trafficking Month. Awareness Month. Advocating for March 31, Yes Engaged with state Working with key state policy changes 2018 and federal advocates to identify stakeholders to opportunities for Port evaluate key pieces engagement during the of legislation; 2019 legislative included trafficking in session. the 2018 federal policy agenda. 2018 saw the passage of the federal Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, and the federal closure of Backpage.com. Developing a June 30, No The Trafficking Release the training curriculum, 2018 Training RFP, and solicit planning Subcommittee has proposals for the trainings for all finalized an RFP to contract Port employees request outside help Request Commission in developing and update their motion conducting trainings. to make this a December 31, 2018 deadline. Ensuring Port June 30, Yes The Port is finalizing Education about the policies restrict 2018 an Executive Policy policy will be engagement in that outlines the incorporated into the trafficking restriction on training curriculum. trafficking activity. Installing signage June 30, No The Port has Launch the regional in Port facilities 2018 formed a public awareness to increase partnership with campaign in the awareness the City of Seattle, coming months. King County Hang the Template revised September 22, 2016. Template revised September 22, 2016. COMMISSION AGENDA Briefing Item No. 8a Page 5 of 6 Meeting Date: July 24, 2018 (including Metro), trafficking/sexual Sound Transit and assault signage in the others to conduct coming months. a regional public Request Commission awareness update their motion campaign, based to make this a on King County's December 31, 2018 successful 2013 deadline. campaign. We are working with the group to finalize the exact timing of the campaign. The Port is partnering with the FBI and the US Attorney's office to increase public awareness of both trafficking and inflight sexual assault, including signage on Sea-Tac bathroom stall doors and a joint press conference. The signage for both campaigns is designed, and circulating to partners for final approval. Exploring June 30, Yes Key conversations Continue to make implementation 2018 have already begun progress on of a final tier of on topics such as implementing these tactics offering trafficking tactics. training to non-Port employees working at our facilities, leveraging new technologies to help people report trafficking, and Template revised September 22, 2016. Template revised September 22, 2016. COMMISSION AGENDA Briefing Item No. 8a Page 6 of 6 Meeting Date: July 24, 2018 extending these efforts to the NW Seaport Alliance. We are also pleased to have hired a Port Veterans Fellow, Chad Aldridge, who will spend the rest of 2018 staffing this effort to ensure its successful completion. While we have made substantial progress, we will not meet all deadlines set by the Commission motion, and request that timelines be updated for remaining items to reflect the new expectation of deliverables. ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND Although slavery is commonly thought to be a thing of the past, each year millions of men, women, and children are trafficked in countries around the world, including the United States. Traffickers use violence, threats, deception, debt bondage, and other manipulative tactics to force people to engage in commercial sex or to provide labor or services against their will. It is estimated that human trafficking generates billions of dollars of profit per year second only to drug trafficking as the most profitable form of transnational crime. Here in Washington state, we are not immune from the problem. Washington had the 14th highest call volume to the National Human Trafficking Hotline in 2015. In King County, an estimated 300-500 children are prostituted annually, some are as young as 11 years old; there are over 100 websites for soliciting sex in the Seattle area, many of which are used for human trafficking purposes. As both the operator of an airport and an owner of a wide array of maritime facilities, we can help reduce the probability that our properties will be used as a transit point for traffickers and their victims. As a major employer, we can save lives by educating our staff on the damaging effect that exploitation and trafficking have on individual lives and families, and how it undermines our commitment to equity and social justice. As a public sector leader, we can collaborate with other jurisdictions, customers, vendors and partners to raise awareness of this important issue. ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING (1) January 9 Commission Human Trafficking Motion (2) Port Human Trafficking Strategy (3) Presentation slides PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS January 9, 2018 The Commission passed a motion directing staff to finalize and implement the Port's human trafficking strategy. Template revised September 22, 2016. Template revised September 22, 2016.
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