Congressman Erik Paulsen and other Minnesota Leaders Endorse
Campaign to Alert Human Trafficking Victims About How to Reach Out
for Help
Polaris and Clear Channel Outdoor Americas (CCOA), a division of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings,
Inc. (NYSE: CCO), together with Congressman Erik Paulsen, today
unveiled an anti-human trafficking awareness campaign to run on 53
digital billboards throughout Minnesota. The new campaign,
launching today and running for three weeks, will alert victims how
to reach out for help through the National Human Trafficking
Resource Center (NHTRC) (1-888-373-7888), as well as raise
awareness about the true nature of modern slavery.
This Smart News Release features multimedia.
View the full release here:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160901006234/en/
Anti-human trafficking awareness ads are
live on Clear Channel Outdoor billboards in Minneapolis, including
pedestrian areas like Mayo Square. (Photo: Business Wire)
A collaborative effort between Polaris and CCOA, the Out-of-Home
(OOH) media campaign, which is estimated to deliver approximately
6.5 million impressions, is designed to reach trafficking victims
who may be unaware that resources exist to help them and residents
who can help identify suspicious activity with raised awareness
that human trafficking is a major problem in Minnesota and
throughout the U.S. 365 days a year. CCOA is donating ad space
across its digital OOH media platform in the Minneapolis-St. Paul
metropolitan areas for the campaign.
The estimated $150 billion a year trafficking industry forces
approximately 20.9 million people worldwide to live in modern day
slavery. In just the first six months of 2016, human trafficking
was reported in all 50 states, with 37 cases of human trafficking
reported to the NHTRC from Minnesota, already a 12% increase over
all of 2015. The top cities that received reports in Minnesota
include Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, St.
Cloud, Blaine and Moorhead. In total, the NHTRC has received
reports of over 265 cases of human trafficking from Minnesota since
2007.
In a news conference earlier today held at the Minnesota State
Fair, Congressman Erik Paulsen, Ramsey District Attorney John Choi,
Kyle Loven, Chief Division Counsel, FBI - Minneapolis, Washington
County Attorney Imran Ali, Executive Director Patina Park of the
Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center, Polaris National Hotlines
Director Caroline Diemar and the President of CCOA-Minneapolis/St.
Paul Susan Adams Loyd joined local and state law enforcement
officials to speak with an audience of reporters and supporters to
underscore the need for preventing and combatting human trafficking
across Minnesota and the country. Also in attendance to endorse the
campaign in solidarity were representatives from Uber, Mysister.org
and the Hennepin County – No Wrong Door Initiative and the Hennepin
County Sheriff’s Office.
“We must do all that we can to eliminate the scourge of human
trafficking – too many young girls and boys, and their families are
affected by this heinous practice,” said Congressman Erik Paulsen
(MN-03). “This awareness campaign is an important and meaningful
step in accomplishing that goal. By coming together, educating our
communities about available resources, and empowering others to
play a role in combating human trafficking, we can all contribute
in this fight.”
Senator Amy Klobuchar, who could not attend today’s event said,
"Raising awareness is critical in the fight against human
trafficking. This campaign, which educates and empowers people to
join the fight against trafficking, has the power to help prevent
children from being victimized and help those who have fallen
victim to this heinous crime get the support they need to get their
lives back on track. I was proud to lead the effort to pass the
Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act that is helping law
enforcement further crack down on human traffickers in communities
across the country while bringing about greater restitution and
justice for victims. We must continue to ensure that children who
are sold for sex are treated as victims, not criminals.”
"People exploited in forms of modern slavery are receiving help
and services to rebuild their lives every day in America, including
here in Minnesota. From the domestic worker provided with her visa,
to the young girl sold online for sex who now has counseling and
therapy support, survivors are reaching out to the national human
trafficking hotline more than ever," said Caroline Diemar,
Polaris's National Hotline Director. "Too often, though,
survivors aren't aware the national hotline exists or that they can
be connected to a network of support across the country.
Minnesota's awareness campaign is critical to ensuring survivors of
sex and labor trafficking get the help they need."
“Our digital OOH campaign has the power to reach many victims of
human trafficking across Minnesota and let them know that there is
help and way out of this modern slavery,” said Susan Adams Loyd,
President, CCOA-Minneapolis/St. Paul. “What is also important about
this campaign is that we are reiterating to residents that human
trafficking is a real, crucial issue that needs a call to action
immediately. Together with Polaris, and with the support of
Congressman Paulsen and Minnesota law enforcement, our goal is help
these victims gain back their freedom and ultimately decrease the
number of cases of this heart-breaking crime.”
Polaris and CCOA have forged a national partnership to combat
human trafficking with campaigns in cities across America. CCOA
launched its first anti-human trafficking campaign alongside
Polaris in Philadelphia in 2012 and has since supported campaigns
with Polaris and/or local partners in Baltimore, Iowa, Las Vegas,
Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, New Jersey, New York, Phoenix, San
Francisco, Seattle, and across the entire state of Texas. This is
CCOA’s 20th anti-human trafficking campaign and data show that the
campaigns drive calls to the hotline, including tips and requests
by victims for help.
The National Human Trafficking Resource Center is operated by
Polaris, and funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services and other private donors. The NHTRC (1-888-373-7888) is a
confidential, multilingual hotline that connects victims and
survivors of all forms of human trafficking to nationwide available
services to get help and stay safe. It also provides the
anti-trafficking community with actionable tips and insights. By
offering a robust 24/7 infrastructure and sharing data and
resources, the NHTRC unites local efforts into a national movement
that is helping survivors restore their freedom and eradicating
human trafficking at scale.
About Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc.
Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc., (NYSE: CCO) is one of the
world’s largest outdoor advertising companies, with more than
650,000 displays in over 35 countries across five continents,
including 43 of the 50 largest markets in the United States. Clear
Channel Outdoor Holdings offers many types of displays across its
global platform to meet the advertising needs of its customers.
This includes a growing digital platform that now offers over 1,050
digital billboards across 29 U.S. markets. Clear Channel Outdoor
Holdings’ International segment operates in 22 countries across
Asia, Australia and Europe in a wide variety of formats. More
information is available at www.clearchanneloutdoor.com and
www.clearchannelinternational.com.
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About Polaris
Polaris is a leader in the global fight to eradicate modern
slavery. Named after the North Star that guided slaves to freedom
in the U.S., Polaris acts as a catalyst to systemically disrupt the
human trafficking networks that rob human beings of their lives and
their freedom. By working with government leaders, the world's
leading technology corporations, and local partners, Polaris equips
communities to identify, report, and prevent human trafficking. Our
comprehensive model puts victims at the center of what we do –
helping survivors restore their freedom, preventing more victims,
and leveraging data and technology to pursue traffickers wherever
they operate. Learn more at www.polarisproject.org.
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160901006234/en/
Media:Clear Channel Outdoor AmericasJason D King,
212-812-0064JasonDKing@ClearChannel.comorCindy Stoller,
917-331-0418cindy@feverpress.comorPolarisBrandon Bouchard,
202-507-7962bbouchard@polarisproject.org
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