AG Davenport announced the launch of a public awareness campaign designed to help combat human trafficking as the opening matches of the World Cup draw near, potentially increasing opportunities for traffickers to exploit and profit from their victims. The campaign is a cooperative effort among the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, the New York City Mayor’s Office, the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development, and the nonprofit organization It’s a Penalty, which recruited soccer players to serve as ambassadors warning the public about the risk of human trafficking associated with large international sporting events. 

“Soccer fans from across the globe are being drawn to the New Jersey-New York area for an opportunity to witness and be part of the excitement surrounding the world’s most highly anticipated and watched sports tournament. Such events are thrilling but are often exploited by human traffickers. We want everyone’s visit to New Jersey to be memorable, fun, and safe, and to that end it is critical that the public exercises vigilance, knows what to look out for, and knows how to respond if they see or experience exploitation.” -AG Davenport