Palm Desert HS Students Create Chilling Human Trafficking PSA

PALM DESERT, CA — A short video written, directed and edited by Palm Desert High School students aims to bring awareness about human trafficking to school communities across the county.

The newly released 4-minute public service announcement, "Waiting By The Phone," was created by the students in partnership with the Riverside County Office of Education, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, and the Coalition to End Human Trafficking Coachella Valley Riverside County at Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center. Tacked on to the video's end is another approximately 10 minutes of footage from the agencies talking about human trafficking.

The chilling video identifies warning signs of human trafficking that students and educators might not otherwise recognize. The video answers questions like: What would it look like if someone you know is being exploited by a human trafficker? What are some of the warning signs you might be missing? How can students and educators be on the lookout to protect one another and the community?

“I encourage all educators in Riverside County to share this video with students of an appropriate age who should be protected from this form of modern enslavement that threaten[s] to interrupt their limitless future,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edwin Gomez. “I applaud our Riverside County sheriff, district attorney, and the Coalition to End Human Trafficking in Coachella Valley Riverside County who are committed to protecting the dignity and worth of all 430,000 students in Riverside County.”

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said team members of the department's Anti-Human Trafficking unit are available to come to events, trainings and school assemblies to help combat enslavement.

Bianco called on "educators, students, and the public, to know the signs and report suspicious activities."

If you or someone you know has observed any of the potential warning signs that might lead you to suspect that they are, or may become a victim of, human trafficking, here are ways you can intervene:

• Contact the Riverside County’s Sheriff’s Department Dispatch Line: 951-776-1099
• Email the Human Trafficking unit at HT@riversidesheriff.org
• Contact the Polaris Project 24/7 at 888-373-7888 or TEXT “BeFree” (233733)
• Contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at missingkids.org or 800-843-5678

Educators interested in building awareness in their school communities can schedule trainings and presentations for school assemblies and events. More information can be made available on human trafficking signs and indicators, and how to work together to address human trafficking in Riverside County, officials said.

For educational opportunities in schools, contact the Coalition to End Human Trafficking Coachella Valley Riverside County at 760-773-1635 or visit https://humantraffickingcoalition.org/. The Coalition provides a collaborative united front to human trafficking from the Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking task force and other teams, as well as multiple victim service providers throughout Riverside County, officials said.

Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said his office is committed to prosecuting human traffickers.

Prosecution of traffickers, Hestrin said, "starts with educating the public about warning signs since the more our students and educators can be on the lookout for one another, the safer we all become in preventing anyone from taking advantage of one of our most valued assets — the youth in our community that represent our future."