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While Human Trafficking Awareness Month is wrapping up, the need for more eyes and ears on alert for this horrific crime continues all year long. Human trafficking occurs when force, fraud, or coercion is used to compel a person into sex acts, labor, or services against their will. One organization, Real Escape from the Sex Trade (REST), estimates that more than 2,000 women, men, and children are currently being exploited in the Puget Sound region.
Human trafficking is usually considered a hidden crime because it often happens in private settings. However, it can also happen in settings that, on the surface, appear legitimate. Because victims are manipulated, isolated, or fearful of seeking help, human trafficking often goes unreported.
While trafficking usually occurs out of general view, some victims report being transported by taxis and other for-hire transportation to and from the location where they were exploited. This puts taxi and for-hire drivers on the front lines of combating this crime.
To help, the King County For-Hire Licensing Team launched an awareness and prevention training program for taxi drivers in November 2024. In the first year of the program, 1,416 people completed the training, which is offered online at no cost to drivers. Thanks to this initiative, all taxi drivers operating in King County now know how to identify the signs and report a potential human trafficking situation.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline compiles national and state-level data on this crime. In 2024, the hotline received 659 reports of potential human trafficking in Washington State – 12th highest in the nation. From these 659 reports, there were 271 distinct cases:
- 56% were sex trafficking
- 16% were both sex and labor trafficking
- 14% were labor trafficking only
- 15% did not specify the type of trafficking involved.
Sadly, the hotline also reports that 22% of cases involved victims under 18 years old. 87% of all cases involved female victims, 11% involved males, and 2% involved gender minorities.
These are statistics from just one organization. In addition to reporting to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, potential trafficking can be reported to local law enforcement or organizations such as the Washington Anti-Trafficking Response Network (WARN) and Real Escape from the Sex Trade (REST).
To learn more about for-hire transportation licensing in King County, visit kingcounty.gov/ForHire.
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