Human trafficking in Tennessee fight takes Covid-19 hit

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) - For the past three years, Tennessee has led the country in our response to the human trafficking problem. However now, the non-profit leading the charge, End Slavery TN, isn’t getting any state funding because of Covid-19 budget cuts.

“We are just constantly trying to pivot on to see how we can just make up the difference so we can continue to do the important work that needs to be done to fight the fight,” End Slavery TN’s Leah Moyer said.

Moyer says they’ve had to change their whole system to adapt, moving online and navigating how to advocate for victims in a new climate.

“We have seen a lot of our partner agencies just not at a place where they are referring at the same rate they normally would be referring, not because demand has gone away, but because they’ve also had to adjust their priorities and how they facilitate their services, and might not be in a place to see some of the signs and symptoms that they normally would be,” Moyer said.

A good example is the hotel industry. They’ve been a big part of this fight, training employees to recognize red flags and report anything suspicious. However, now they have to limit interaction with guests and take other precautions because of the virus.

In hospitals, rules have become more strict on who’s allowed to enter, so victim advocates have had a tougher time offering their support.

On top of all of that, they’ve faced a giant slash in their budget. The state cut their funding to deal with the economic crisis.

“I think with the challenges they’ve experienced as well that lack of funding has been one of the greatest hits in just our ability to respond appropriately as a state and union,” Moyer said. We reached out to the Governor’s office and asked to see how he plans to help keep the momentum going in this fight without funding. We have not received a response.

For now, End Slavery TN is calling on the public to be those extra eyes and ears, educating themselves on trafficking red flags and reporting when they think something’s wrong.