Two of San Antonio's busiest highways, I-35 and I-10, are major thoroughfares for illegal transport, including the trafficking of men, women and children for forced labor or sex.
Texas in particular has a higher rate of trafficking than other U.S. states at an estimated 300,000 victims, according to 2016 data from researchers at the University of Texas at Austin.
In this special edition of "The Source," host David Martin Davies and producer Kim Johnson guide a localized conversation on the impact of modern-day slavery.
How are civic leaders and law enforcement working to combat this phenomenon and what are the consequences? What should the public know about the signs and safety risks surrounding human trafficking?
For the National Human Trafficking Hotline, call 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733.
Guests:
- Tommy Calvert, Bexar County Commissioner for Precinct 4
- Lt. Bill Grayson, director of the San Antonio Police Department’s Special Victims Unit
- David Lunan, assistant criminal district attorney for Bexar County
- Nancy Rodill, executive director of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s Texas Regional Office
- Allison Franklin, human trafficking survivor and victim advocate
"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982. During the live show, call 210-614-8980, email thesource@tpr.org or tweet at @TPRSource.
*Audio for this interview will be available by 3:30 p.m. on Monday, January 28. This conversation was recorded on January 23 at Brick, in partnership with Texas Public Radio's Generation Listen network and the World Affairs Council of San Antonio for DreamWeek.