Author Spotlight
Emmerson Winfrey
Tuesday night at 9 p.m. I’m walking out of Target on Ward Parkway alone after getting yet another “emergency” Maybelline Sky High mascara and enough Cherry Slush Alani Nu to give someone a heart attack.
Walking through the parking lot, I’m turning my head every five seconds and scanning anyone walking behind me — even if they’re 50 feet away. As I get close to my car, I peek under it to make sure no one is hiding underneath. When everything seems clear, I jump into my car and lock my doors before heading home.
Sure, these precautions may seem like overkill to some. But according to professionals on the topic such as police, and nurses trained to detect and prevent human trafficking, it could be lifesaving for young people — especially women — to prevent them from possibly becoming victims of human trafficking. And, after having people attempt to follow me home or around stores, leave things on my car and even ask me out, I learned these precautions are just a small thing I need to do to prevent myself from becoming a target.
Kansas City is the 37th city in the country considered a hub for human trafficking, according to Synergy Services, which isn’t the safest. With major surrounding highways like I-435 and I-70, traffickers have easy access to escape routes and can easily transport victims.
And, after researching the subject due to my own fears and close-calls, I quickly found out 32 people were arrested in Kansas City in June as part of a child sex trafficking investigation, according to KSHB.
Even with these very real reports, it can be easy for teens to be unaware of the human trafficking scene around them.
Think about it this way: I’m walking out of that same Target, on alert. But I still miss the discreet tactics traffickers use to identify or grab victims.
A zip-tie on my car door handle. A tissue tucked under the windshield wipers or under or behind my car. Any small abnormality meant to distract me for just the right amount of time to be abducted.
With traffickers doing all of these things to target vulnerable people, there are ways young people can keep themselves safe to prevent being trafficked.
Before I left for Target, I shared my location with people I trust — close friends and parents — and told them I’d be back by 10 p.m. I also found a large group leaving at the same time and stayed close to them. A group-setting tends to deter traffickers from grabbing you.
In the store, I watched my body language, trying to appear as confident and self-aware as possible. According to EasyLlama, traffickers tend to grab girls who seem confused, sad or weak. So I made sure to stay off my phone and look up as I shopped.
When I suspect I’m being followed out of the store, I always walk in a circle to see if they are really tracking me. I feel safer after asking an employee to escort me to my car or yelling abrupt sayings like “CALL THE POLICE” to discourage attackers.
I make sure to keep my music at a reasonable volume as I drive away, so I can watch cars who might be following me — both during the day and at night.
If I’m being tailed, I drive to the nearest police station and stay in my car with the doors locked. Then, I call the police station I’m at, notify them of the situation and ask for someone inside to escort me into the station to wait to get picked up.
I never take chances by driving in circles to “lose” followers, acknowledging that sometimes I need professional backup.
Most importantly, I swiftly inspect my car before getting in and head back into the store and alert a worker or security if I notice anything suspicious.
Trafficking is an exceedingly real and serious issue facing our community that must be taken seriously and properly treated to prevent even more victims than we already have.
If the threat of human traffickers has your head on a swivel – out late, alone in a dark parking lot, how ridiculous is that? Especially if you’re as well informed as you say in the post. Do you really think that being aware of your surroundings and walking with confidence would deter a determined abductor? I am very familiar with scenarios that lead to abductions, trafficking, rape and dead girls in shallow graves, and I just think you’re as naive as all of those young women who don’t know anything about it. Oh, and if you feel you’re being shamed, “you are”. Your behavior is a bad example for my daughters and I am forwarding a copy of this post to them as an example – “not-to-follow”. You are telling young, venerable girls that its okay to put themselves in a scenario that is ideal for rapists and traffickers, as long as they look for signs. Next time you decide to post please have someone you trust proof read it before publishing. You might be saving a life.
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