The TABC is working with bars and clubs in Texas to eliminate human trafficking. Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission is a busy state agency that has a multitude of functions mostly concerning alcoholic beverages. Among these are licensing of alcohol manufacturing, wholesale, and retail establishments. They ensure that the alcohol taxes are fairly and legally collected. They enforce the Texas alcohol laws dealing with minors, intoxicated persons, and private clubs, among dozens of other responsibilities.
But in addition to all of the various alcohol taxing and enforcement duties, the TABC is one of the foremost Texas agencies tasked to aid in the exposure, eradication, and prosecution of human traffickers who use alcohol licensed establishments as a source and cover for one of the most despicable of crimes.
Human trafficking is and equal opportunity and easy target crime for the perpetrators. Victims of human trafficking can be girls or women, boys or men, rich or poor, of any age from babies to older adults. The victims are many times marginalized people to begin with. They can be runaways, neglected and or abused children, undocumented immigrants, or other easily coerced, threatened, or blackmailed victims. They are terrified to report their enslavement to the authorities. The U.S. State Department estimates from 15 to 17 thousand victims are brought into this country.
Because these victims are such easily targeted and hidden in plain sight, they are many times found in Texas alcoholic beverage licensed facilities. The TABC investigates all complaints of trafficking and are diligently on the lookout for this illegal activity while conducting routine duties.
The best way to eradicate this horrible crime against humanity, is through the education of the public and law enforcement. The TABC has an active Human Trafficking Training Initiative to expose this crime. They require certain alcoholic beverage licensees to post information in their businesses. They provide wallet sized information cards for employees to readily access. You can watch the first lady of Texas Youtube message addressing this topic Here
To report suspected Human Trafficking contact the TABC at 1(888) 373-7888
MyTABC.com offers TABC Online Certification, TABC and Food Handlers, and Live Group TABC Certification at your location.
