Working Together to Combat Human Trafficking: Webinar Recording Now Available
1/28/2026
APTA’s webinar on human trafficking prevention featured speakers from a non-profit, transit police departments, and government to discuss the transit industry’s intersection with human trafficking. With the anticipated large gatherings in dozens of U.S. cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, speakers provided resources for implementing anti-trafficking initiatives every day and for large special events.
Events such as the Super Bowl or World Cup provide conditions that may be exploited by trafficking groups who depend on transit systems to find and move victims. Transit systems may also be the first place survivors go for safety or escape. This means that public transportation can be a key touchpoint for reaching these vulnerable populations, both for prevention and education, as well as for identification and intervention.
Presenting first at the APTA webinar, Lexi Higgins from TAT (Truckers Against Trafficking) remarked that public transit workers are uniquely positioned to help combat trafficking because of their daily interaction with passengers. She said, “Due to the accessibility and the affordability of public transit, in particular, you are interacting with the populations who could be most at risk for this type of exploitation.”
Public transportation agencies have a vital responsibility in preventing, detecting, and responding to these risks through staff education, operational readiness, and collaborative information sharing. Janice Farkas from the New Jersey Transit Police Department explained that stopping human trafficking requires a team effort. She presented on the transit agency’s efforts, which recently won the 2025 USDOT Combating Human Trafficking in Transportation Impact Award.
The third presenter, Jeremy Furrer with the FTA, spoke about the administration’s counter-trafficking efforts, including plans for the FIFA World Cup. The last presenter, Nicholas Ingram with Amtrak Police Department, shared the department’s efforts to educate employees and passengers on how they can work together to halt human trafficking.
The presenters all agreed that passengers and employees should be encouraged to report anything suspicious—rather than intervening directly. Agencies looking for resources and training can access materials from APTA, FTA, and TAT.