How The Private Sector Is Protecting Children - A Q&A With Jimmy Chin
In recognition of National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, ECPAT-USA is presenting a series of interviews with leaders in the private sector about how they are working to end child sex trafficking and exploitation in their industries. The first is with Jimmy Chin, Chief Operating Officer at IPS Security.
(Responses have been edited for clarity)
Can you tell me about when you first became aware of trafficking as an issue in the U.S. and what compelled you to get involved?
My first awareness of human trafficking occurred like a landslide. It was prior to the NFL Superbowl in February 2014. Although the game was scheduled at Giant Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, New York City held several major events that included NFL players, organizers, media people, and thousands of fans staying on this side of the Hudson River. This attraction interested human trafficking, prostitution, and other criminal opportunities due to the aforementioned.
The landslide came from ECPAT-USA, NYPD crime prevention division, and the NFL organizers in NYC. This was a rude awakening. The hotel industry for decades has dealt with prostitution but never related it to child trafficking. We picked up the ball and started running during and after the Super Bowl.
What initiatives have IPS Security implemented in terms of anti-trafficking efforts?
Because of the close relationship IPS has with our hotel and tourism partners, we better serve our clients by providing anti-human trafficking trained personnel at assigned locations. As we witnessed success by training various hotel staff on trafficking awareness, IPS as a third-party provider must be equipped with the same knowledge.
Why is it important for others in the security industry to get involved with anti-trafficking work?
Unlike the front desk personnel, food and beverage servers, security personnel are more mobile. This engagement allows personnel to engage with young people that may appear to be victims and deters and possibly detach victims from the sellers. Security staff can call for hotel management, reinforcement, and police when necessary. Security is the eyes and ears of a hotel and serves as a management tool.
During your time in the private sector, how have you seen it evolve when it comes to raising awareness and preventing sex trafficking?
Look at the strides made after the 2014 Super Bowl with ECPAT-USA, provided several seminars on trafficking to NYC hotels, and joined forces with the AHLA (American Hotel and Lodging Association, 2016) for national exposure and awareness. We entered into the international arena by providing human trafficking awareness to our international hotels (2017-18). But traffickers do change their operations and evolve during changing conditions and times. This year with the pandemic has not slowed their progress but only allowed them to operate differently. We have much more to do.
Based on your experience thus far, what gives you hope in terms of future work on this issue?
Continued awareness as hotels and the tourism industry have high turnover. We need to educate hotel management on awareness and benefits in preventing trafficking and build an interstate or national notification or alert network amongst hotels and other tourism segments to stop traffickers (if one does not already exist).
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