PSTA gets grant to fight human trafficking
January 29, 2020 -
he Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority was awarded $43,630 in federal grants to combat human trafficking. The funds, from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Authority, will be used to further train PSTA bus operators to better recognize indicators of passengers being trafficked and how to help them, a program PSTA began last year. The program, called "The Eyes of the City," consists of training such as looking for signs of a person being disoriented or confused, or showing signs of mental or physical abuse. To date, 117 bus operators have been trained, a news release from PSTA said. The program is a partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Truckers Against Human Trafficking and the Department of Homeland Security.