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With human trafficking a growing problem in Texas, the Lone Star State is requiring salons and massage parlors to display new signs that feature a phone number for people who see something suspicious to say something to authorities.
With the start of the new year, salons and massage parlors are required to display the signs which, according to KXAN, not only feature a Department of Public Safety hotline for victims to call, but a number for anybody to call and report any suspicious activity they may see. The number is 1-888-373-7888.
“It’s important to recognize the red flags, and also to know who to call,” Susanne Crane, a SAFE Cares advocacy manager, told KXAN.
A former hairdresser, Crane told KXAN that salons and massage parlors often have a window into the personal lives of their customers.
“Beauty workers may have closer relationships, and they may notice things and signs that the public generally wouldn’t see,” Crane told the news outlet. “Bruising, injuries that are hidden by clothing, or hair…one person paying for multiple services for different clients in those businesses.”
According to the report, the state noted that salons and massage parlors are some hot sports for trafficking activity, and Tela Mange, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations, noted that the old signs may not have been as effective.
“Someone who has, who’s being human trafficked may not have access to a phone, or they may not call, which is why having this number for DPS, where someone who is maybe not being trafficked, but they see a situation and they think there’s something not right…this number provides them with an outlet for that,” Mange told KXAN.
According to a 2016 study by the University of Texas at Austin’s Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, at any given time there are about 79,000 minors who are victims of sex trafficking in the state, and about 234,000 victims of labor trafficking.
In a separate report, Children at Risk found that there are more than 900 illegitimate massage parlors in Texas. These entities frequently serve as a cover for prostitution and human trafficking activities.
In an effort to further combat trafficking, Children at Risk noted on its website that it supports legislation to mandate the registration of white-label ATMs that can be owned and operated by anyone, giving a money stream for the cash-based activities in human trafficking and prostitution. The ATM measure would assist law enforcement when the machines are used to secure money for illegal activities, according to the website.