Spotting Town’s human trafficking is key: Ruffalo
A Farragut businessman sees the potential for human trafficking in Town, so he’s offering training to help businesses know how to address it when they see it.
Joey Ruffalo, owner of J.R. Financial Coaching in Farragut, informed Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen about the initiative during its meeting Thursday, March 27. He asked for the Board’s blessing and support of the program.
“There’s an initiative right now called Tennessee Businesses Against Trafficking,” Farragut Alderman Alex Cain said. “Human trafficking is happening in all 95 counties here in Tennessee.
“The 13- to 17-year-old age group is the most affected,” the alderman added. “They represent about 45 percent of all the cases involving minors. But this program is going to allow businesses to come in and get training for free, (learning) how to pick up on it, how to see it, how to respond to trafficking that’s happening in their businesses.”
“Human trafficking is not a big city problem; it’s a Tennessee problem, a local one,” Ruffalo said. “According to the 2024 Governor’s Brief on human trafficking, every single one of Tennessee’s 95 counties has reported trafficking. That means it’s happening here whether we see it or not.
“In fact, it’s the second best criminal industry in Tennessee behind drug trafficking,” Ruffalo added. “The numbers are heartbreaking. The human trafficking hotline received over 1,175 calls — 514 involved minors.
Still more alarming, “Every two minutes in the United States, a child is sold for sex,” he said. The average age is 13. It’s not just a criminal issue; it’s a human one and one that requires a communitywide response.”
As such, Ruffalo said the statewide initiative launched by Tennessee Secretary of State to “empowers businesses and organizations to help identify, prevent and report human trafficking through free, accessible training.”
The program equips employees and citizens with training to recognize signs and take action.
“It doesn’t matter if you are a gas station, gym, church, salon or a restaurant, you can be a frontline defender in this fight,” Ruffalo said.
To find out more about the initiative, visit tbat.tnsos.gov
