Human Trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery through which people profit from the exploitation of others. It is a $150 billion industry and growing, making it one of the most profitable illegal businesses globally. Unfortunately, it is here in our own state. Mississippi men, women, and children are victims of this heinous crime. To stop trafficking in our state, General Fitch employs a multi-prong approach:
In 2021, General Fitch launched the first phase of Be The Solution, a statewide education and awareness campaign to empower everyday Mississippians to help rid our State of human trafficking.
In Phase 1, we focused on (1) training truck drivers and school bus drivers to spot and report trafficking and (2) alerting the public to how to report trafficking thru public places like, service stations, truck stops, and State welcome centers.
We partnered for this phase with the Department of Public Safety, Department of Education, the Mississippi Development Authority, the MS Trucking Association, KLLM, the MS Beer Distributors Association, the Mississippi Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores Association.
We created special training videos, using tried-and-true programs from Truckers Against Trafficking. Click below to see the videos we created for these groups:
CDL Drivers
MS Trucking Association
MS Beer Distributors Association
School Bus Drivers
We also created a campaign of radio PSAs, billboards, and truck wraps with the National Trafficking Hotline number and distributed thousands of static cling stickers with that Hotline number for bathrooms at roadside stops across the State.
And we created this brochure and this easy handout for community groups to distribute to help Mississippians spot trafficking and properly report it.
For phase 2, we are pleased to partner with Entergy, Mississippi Power, the Department of Agriculture and Commerce, the MS Gaming Commission, the MS Airport Association, Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, the Mississippi Port Authority, and Island View Casino Resort.
Many people in our community work in industries that better position them to spot and report human trafficking.
We are grateful to our new partners for agreeing to train their employees and distribute informational materials, like this airport PSA, to their customers to engage them in spotting and reporting trafficking.
We will also be working with utility companies, agricultural interests, and the gaming industry to train up their employees in how to spot and report trafficking.
Phase 3 of Be The Solution serves as a continuation of our human trafficking initiative with an emphasis on developing training and reporting tools for medical, mental health, and child advocacy professionals.
Attorney General Lynn Fitch with Be The Solution Partners at the Launch of Phase Three
Health care professionals and child advocates often interact with trafficking victims when they are most vulnerable. They can play a special role in not only identifying the individual, but starting them on a pathway to healing and trusting again Partnering with leaders in the mental health, medical, nursing, and child advocacy communities, we are developing specialized training materials and tools to help them engage the victim in a holistic way, starting the pathway to becoming a survivor as smooth as possible.
Thank you to our partners:
Contact Us
601.359.3680
P.O. Box 220, Jackson MS 39205
550 High Street, Jackson MS 39201
