AG Moody Gathers Local Partners to Stop Human Trafficking Ahead of Super Bowl LV

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is bringing together law enforcement and the business community in an effort to stop human trafficking ahead of Super Bowl LV. For months, Attorney General Moody has enlisted business leaders, industry experts and law enforcement to ensure Tampa and its residents are prepared for a potential increase of human trafficking in the area.

While National Human Trafficking Prevention Month laid the groundwork, momentum is still going strong in the days leading up to the National Football League’s championship game.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “I am overwhelmed by the amount of support from corporate and community partners we have received this year heading into Super Bowl LV. The big game is right around the corner and we have been preparing for a potential increase of human trafficking in the Tampa Bay area. Just like the Bucs, we are heading into the weekend with homefield advantage, and we’re familiar with our opponent.

“One of the best defenses we have in our fight against human trafficking is bringing awareness to the public, and our team has been working overtime to deliver resources and educational material leading up to the championship game. Over the past few weeks, we have equipped thousands of Floridians to help us spot and report human trafficking, but training camp is over and it is time to get in the game. To all the victims of human trafficking: you are not alone, we have not forgotten you, and we have a stacked team in your corner ready to fight for you.”

Last month, Attorney General Moody teamed up with It’s a Penalty and Tampa International Airport in an effort to prevent human trafficking ahead of the Super Bowl. The campaign strategically placed human trafficking awareness signs throughout TPA to encourage travelers to report suspicious activity, and to encourage victims being flown in for the game to reach out for help. The signs are just one piece of a multifaceted puzzle designed to increase human trafficking awareness as TPA anticipates thousands of visitors traveling through the hub during the days leading up to the big game.

Attorney General Moody and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shifted into high gear in preparation for Super Bowl LV. On Jan. 14, Attorney General Moody launched phase two of the Highway Heroes campaign in partnership with FLHSMV. The campaign is aimed at enlisting commercial driver license holders in Florida to join the fight to end human trafficking. Through the joint effort, the Attorney General’s Office and FLHSMV issue educational tools to train drivers and spread awareness about human trafficking on the roadway—with nearly 4,000 Florida CDL holders taking the training as a result of those efforts.

Attorney General Moody also partnered with Uber for the second year in a row to provide prevention education to drivers, delivery persons and riders ahead of the 2021 Super Bowl. The Attorney General and Uber virtually delivered education material to thousands of drivers and passengers to equip those using the ridesharing service during Super Bowl weekend to better understand human trafficking, how it presents itself in communities and what to do if human trafficking is suspected.

Airbnb joined Attorney General Moody in the fight to end human trafficking ahead of the Super Bowl this year by providing Airbnb hosts in the Tampa Bay area with information and resources recognizing the signs of human trafficking and how to report it. Airbnb is also teaming up with Polaris to offer hosts an online anti-trafficking workshop. The training content provided equips hosts, as well as Airbnb’s team of agents and crisis managers, to support reports of human trafficking and help spot any suspicious activity.

Attorney General Moody also joined forces with the National Beer Wholesalers Association, the Florida Beer Wholesalers Association and the Beer Industry of Florida in providing human trafficking awareness training to thousands of beer distribution employees. Beer distributors are uniquely positioned to identify and report human trafficking due largely in part to the level of access to locations often left unseen by the public.

Although National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and large-scale events like the Super Bowl bring more attention to human trafficking, raising awareness and fighting to combat human trafficking is not a seasonal task. Attorney General Moody works year-round to end this evil enterprise in Florida. For more information on Attorney General Moody’s efforts, click here.

To learn more about how to spot and stop human trafficking, visit YouCanStopHT.com.

If you suspect or witness an instance of human trafficking, immediately contact local law enforcement and then call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1(888) 373-7888.