Port of Seattle Human Trafficking Strategy 
Executive Summary 
January 2018 







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Every year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked in countries around the world, including
the United States. 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. Human trafficking is
modern-day slavery and involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or
commercial sex act. 
The Port of Seattle has a unique role to play in stopping human trafficking here in King County, where
hundreds of victims of human trafficking are identified each year. 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 train our
employees to understand both what human trafficking is as well as how it undermines our commitment
to equity and social justice. As a public sector leader, we can collaborate with other jurisdictions,
customers, tenants, vendors and partners to raise awareness of this important issue. 
The Port has addressed human trafficking in various ways over the years, but we have the opportunity
to take the next step in our engagement on this important topic by developing a comprehensive
strategy that ties together training, resources, policies and procedures. Given the Port's commitment to
ensuring that we use our resources to ensure the safety and prosperity of all King County residents and
everyone who uses our facilities, now is the perfect time to develop and implement such a plan. 
Elements of Port of Seattle's Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy 
Four key areas of focus could help the Port take a leadership role in addressing human trafficking issues: 
1)  Training  Ensure that all employees have access to the proper training and education to
understand both what human trafficking is as well as how it undermines our commitment to
equity and social justice. As appropriate, provide additional training to customer-facing
employees and public safety personnel to identify and stop human trafficking taking place
through our facilities. 
2)  Communications and Infrastructure  Utilize port facilities and communications channels to
raise public awareness of human trafficking, and provide information to stop trafficking taking
place at our facilities. In particular, focus on airport passengers through signage and by
providing clear, accessible reporting infrastructure and procedures. 
3)  Partnerships  Leverage existing resources and relationships both to reduce duplication and to 
maximize the impact of our efforts, including collaborating with nonprofits; local, state and
federal government agencies; and key customers and vendors like airlines, airport dining &
retail, taxis & TNCs, ocean carriers, intermodal transportation providers and construction
contractors. Work with the Northwest Seaport Alliance to ensure cohesion in policy, procedures
and efforts at their facilities and through their customer and vendor networks. 
4)  Policies & Protocols  Ensure that Port policies (such as travel and expenses, as well as use of
Port resources and electronic devices) prohibit engagement in human trafficking, and provide
clear procedures for employees to follow to report suspicion of human trafficking and violations
of these policies. 
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Port-wide Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy Tactics 
While the Port has a clear role to play in addressing human trafficking, our organization has multiple
priorities and limited resources. Therefore, Port leadership must tackle our efforts to combat human
trafficking in an incremental way  prioritizing near-term activities and then expanding our reach to
additional actions as time and capacity allows. Below is the initial timeline for action. 
Tier I  Initial Engagement 
Pass a Commission motion demonstrating the Port's comprehensive commitment to this issue 
Conduct a comprehensive review of relevant Port policies, and send a clear email
communication to Port employees about relevant policies and procedures 
Institute a training for Port public safety personnel and frontline, customer-facing Port
employees 
Join the Washington Advisory Committee on Trafficking to coordinate investigations and
prosecution of trafficking cases, and the Businesses Ending Slavery & Trafficking's Employer
Alliance; become a signatory to the USDOT's Transportation Leaders Against Human Trafficking
pledge 
Utilize part of an ELT retreat to help Port leadership better understand how they can drive
commitment to combatting human trafficking through their teams 
Hold an optional lunch & learn with trafficking experts for Port staff 
Advocate at the state and federal level for policy changes that further the Port's and region's
human trafficking reduction efforts 
Conduct a media and social media announcement of the Port's commitment 
Take steps to prepare for implementation of Tier II actions, including but not limited to
reviewing the Port Code of Conduct to identify any necessary changes to fully address antihuman
trafficking, planning for broader training opportunities for Port staff and designing Port
anti-human trafficking signage; as appropriate, move Tier II items into Tier I if they are easily and
affordable done sooner 
Tier II  Secondary Engagement 
Make appropriate amendments to the Port Code of Conduct to address anti-human trafficking
policies more explicitly 
Increase training opportunities for all Port employees 
Install signage throughout Port facilities 1) with information on what individuals being trafficked
can do to get help, and 2) highlighting human trafficking awareness for visitors and travelers
who use our facilities 
Incorporate human trafficking awareness efforts into Port communications, such as website,
social media and marketing 
Explore benefits, costs and other impacts of the implementation of Tier III actions; as
appropriate, move Tier III items into Tier II if they are easily and affordable done sooner 
Tier III  Long-Term Engagement 

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Consider installing panic buttons or other emergency assistance technology in key places
throughout Port facilities (such as restrooms), which could be used not only for human
trafficking victims to call for rescue but also other individuals in need of help or crisis 
Partner with vendors, tenants and concessionaires to conduct trainings and implement
awareness campaigns in their parts of Port facilities, such as airport ticket counters, cruise ship
terminals, marinas, and commercial fishing and maritime facilities 
Create an optional training for all non-Port employees who work at Port facilities 
Consider a certain level of anti-human trafficking effort from vendors and contractors through a
Supplier Code of Conduct, specific procurement & RFP language or contract requirements 
Consider how current workforce development partnerships could support victims of human
trafficking in their efforts to build employment skills and job training 
Consider implementation of new HR policies that could support victims of human trafficking
interested in Port employment 
Explore how the Northwest Seaport Alliance can implement training, communications, policies
and partnerships at their facilities and through their customer and vendor networks 

For more information, contact Eric Schinfeld, Sr. Manager for Federal & International Government Affairs 
for the Port of Seattle, at 206.787.5031 or schinfeld.e@portseattle.org 











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