Bethel and Visit South Bend Mishawaka Partner to Stop Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is the fastest growing and second largest criminal industry in the world, dealing in the sale of young women and children, against their will, to make huge profits at large venues such as trade shows, conferences, and professional and college football games. Activities of human trafficking in our region are also found in domestic help in private homes, the labor force in our fields and farms, and low income workers in our factories and restaurants. Last year in the United States, more than 5,500 trafficking cases were reported to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center.

Bethel College and Visit South Bend Mishawaka are working to prevent human trafficking in our area by offering a seminar for hospitality and tourism professionals, who can be in a unique position to spot the subtle tell-tale signs of a person being trafficked. The workshop will be on Tuesday, Sept. 27, from 8 to 10 a.m. in the President’s Dining Room on Bethel’s campus.

Led by Mike Samp, former chief of investigations for the Mishawaka Police Department and a co-founder of St. Joseph County Metro Homicide, the training will include how to recognize, report and hopefully stop human trafficking in our area.

The cost is $25 per person, which includes breakfast. To register, visit http://bit.ly/2aQxDns. For more information, contact Lisa Greco, Ph.D., director of corporate relations, at Lisa.Greco@BethelCollege.edu.