“It was traded by her mother and often given to her mother’s drug dealer in exchange for drugs. When she was only 12 years old, she once walked down the hall of the hotel in central Florida. She was in pain. ”And blood dripped down her legs and as she walked she passed several hotel workers and no one did anything. They didn’t ask her if she was okay, said Nicole Whitaker, a human trafficking attorney.

Whitaker told the audience the story of a sex trafficking survivor at an Operation Rose event.

Operation Rose is a non-profit advocating the fight against human trafficking in the United States. It was founded in January 2021 by Robert Young, who was a Nashville police officer for eleven years.

The organization aims to help victims by training hospitality executives and employees on indicators of human trafficking.

Human trafficking is considered the fastest growing criminal industry, with sales exceeding $ 150 billion a year, according to Operation Rose.

“Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery. Women and children and some men are in dire situations and most don’t know how to get help and how to get out, ”said Jason Mayo, president of Operation Rose, who served as a Nashville police officer for 21 years.

Because of Nashville’s high tourism rate and the three major highways that converge in downtown, I-24, 65 and 40, the city is known as a human traffickers haven.

“We could work all day, 40 hours a day, 20 days straight without leaving a dent,” Mayo said.

Hotels and motels are attractive places to be trafficked, and according to the organization, traffickers can choose from over 50,000 rooms in Nashville.

“The human traffickers use our city as a hub. Most human traffickers rotate. They only stay in a city for a limited time, but Nashville is always the city they always return to,” Mayo said.

Trafficking Victims Indicators

  • Under 18
  • Signs of physical abuse
  • Signs of malnutrition
  • Avoids interaction
  • Controlled communication
  • Has older companion
  • Signs of fear
  • Can travel in groups with older companions
  • Branded with tattoo
  • All things in one bag

A man or a woman can play the role of trafficker. Traffickers are known to wear nicer clothes than their victims.

Indicators of maid / room service trade

  • Do not disturb sign on the hotel door
  • Refusal to clean
  • Smell of musk
  • Multiple computers or phones
  • Odd arrival and departure times
  • Men wait in the lobby
  • Bringing additional toiletries without cleaning the room
  • Alcohol or drugs
  • Big boxes of condoms
  • Big sums of money
  • extend stay
  • Ask about rooms at the back of hotels
  • Rechargeable credit cards

To prevent human trafficking in the hospitality industry, Operation Rose Hotels offers a free training workshop. visit https://operationrose.org/wantworkshop/ if you are interested in registering.