Michigan State Police urges truckers, communities to watch for signs of human trafficking

LANSING — Michigan State Police investigators told the Michigan House Oversight Subcommittee on Homeland Security Foreign Influence on Oct. 26 that the trucking and service industries are uniquely positioned to spot and report human trafficking and described statewide outreach efforts to equip those workers to do so.

“Human trafficking is a lot like the elephant in the room,” Investigator Chad Schmidt of the Michigan State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division said, adding that the division has made anti‑trafficking outreach a priority through presentations, wallet cards and decals. “If you were able to answer yes to any of these items, statistical chances are human trafficking is in your area,” he said while showing an aerial photo of a neighborhood he said contained a known trafficking location.

The presentation emphasized a victim‑centered response. Sergeant Christina Droste, legislative liaison for the Michigan State Police, said the department partners with Truckers Against Trafficking, a national nonprofit, to raise awareness and to encourage reporting by commercial drivers and other frontline workers. “Our commercial vehicle enforcement division is obviously uniquely positioned to have and build relationships with our trucking community,” Droste said.

Why it matters: committee members said the testimony—accompanied by survivor testimony clips and case examples—underscored that trafficking can occur in communities across Michigan, not only at borders. Investigator Schmidt described a local case in which a 16‑year‑old victim was rescued from a house he said was one block from his children’s elementary school.

What the state police described: Schmidt said the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division (CVED) has conducted more than 170 presentations to carriers, nonprofits and community groups and reached more than 6,200 people in recent years. He cited Michigan‑level hotline and case totals the CVED has tracked from the national hotline, saying the national hotline contacts in Michigan numbered “almost 11,000 contacts … identifying 3,307 cases with 6,909 victims,” and he gave national industry estimates that were shown in his slides.

Resources and reporting: the presenters urged use of the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline, (888) 373‑7888, which they said operates 24 hours a day and accepts confidential calls nationwide. Schmidt also highlighted Truckers Against Trafficking’s training curriculum and a TAT smartphone app as materials the division distributes to carriers and drivers.

Questions from lawmakers: members asked about cooperation with federal immigration authorities, school‑based education, sentencing outcomes and how enforcement can adapt to increased commercial traffic. Representative Andrew Shriver pressed whether Michigan State Police work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Schmidt and Droste said the department’s stated focus is on identifying victims and equipping local partners and task forces to prosecute traffickers, and that the Michigan Human Trafficking Commission and the attorney general’s human trafficking initiative are among their partners.

On prevention and demand: lawmakers asked whether enforcement should focus more on the ‘‘demand’’ side of trafficking. Schmidt said reducing demand is important but that the division’s primary role is education, detection and referral to investigative partners. He and Droste discussed legislative changes lawmakers and the Michigan Human Trafficking Commission have recommended, including evidentiary rules and safe‑harbor measures that they say make prosecution and victim relief easier.

Limits of CVED authority: presenters said CVED officers retain enforcement authority over commercial vehicles and commercial‑vehicle‑related laws; they can investigate suspicious activity but sometimes must rely on task forces or other agencies when they do not have legal grounds to detain or search individuals in noncommercial vehicles. Both Schmidt and Droste described routine outreach at truck stops, safety meetings and industry events as their primary near‑term strategy.

Closing: committee members thanked the presenters and said they would review prior, unsuccessful legislative proposals and consider whether to reintroduce or refine measures aimed at improving prosecution and victim services. The presenters did not request specific new funding during the hearing but asked the committee to consider previously recommended bills and evidentiary changes that state police officials said would aid prosecutions.