The Iowa D-O-T’s Office of Motor Vehicle Enforcement is partnering with the non-profit group Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) to help try and stop human trafficking. Motor Vehicle Division Chief, David Lorenzen, says it’s a natural role for his office, which comes into regular contact with truckers. “One of the initiatives of our office is to reach out to the motor carrier industry and to provide materials that educate them on the aspects of human trafficking,” Lorenzen says. “We have materials in all 11 of our state scale sites, we work with the highway division to put materials for drivers in the 40 state rest areas, and we’re also continuing to work with putting the materials in the truck stops across the state.” Lorenzen says they learned of TAT and it’s goal, and thought it was a good fit to work with them.

“This effort is something that we feel is important, we feel we can help play a part in it and do what we can to help curb this,” Lorenzen says. He says enlisting the help of truck drivers is a good way to expand the reach of law officers. “The motor carrier industry are people who are out there every day, 24-seven, 365 days a year they see things where there’s not that much law enforcement out there. They can obviously give us a set of eyes that we don’t have,” according to Lorenzen. The U-S Justice Department estimates between 100 and 300-thousand American children are at risk to enter the sex trade industry every year.

“And that doesn’t even count some of the people who’re being imported from other countries,” Lorenzen says. “Obviously human trafficking involves that part of it too, and it’s a billion-dollar industry. It’s something obviously that the F-B-I noticed there’s a lot of these things happening in truck stops and those types of things.” The F-B-I held four stings between 2003 and 2009 that targeted truck stops and over 500 children were rescued and millions of dollars recovered.

The TAT program began in March 2009. You can find out more about the program on it’s website at: www.truckersagainsttrafficking.com. The National Hotline number to call and report suspected human trafficking is 888-373-7888.

(Radio Iowa)

Police in Red Oak say a local man was cited for Failure to Yield half of the roadway and Leaving the Scene of an Accident, following a collision Thursday morning on east Summit Street. Officials say 23-year old Kiley Brian Caron, of Red Oak, was traveling east on east Summit at around 11:25-a.m., when his 1998 Chevy Monte Carlo crossed the center line and struck a utility trailer being pulled by a 2004 Chevy pickup, driven by 23-year old Joshua Lee Porter, of Red Oak, as Porter was traveling west.

Following the collision, Caron continued east on east Summit until he reached the intersection of North Boundary and turned south onto Boundary and went over a curb, nearly hitting a sign before continuing south. While police were investigating the first accident, they received word from a witness who followed the Monte Carlo to 1000 Highland Avenue, where officers caught up to Caron.

During their investigation, police determined the right front side of Caron’s car hit the corner of the home at 1000 Highland Avenue. Officials say when the man entered his driveway, he was traveling too fast. His car went up on a bank next to the driveway and back down the slope to the driveway before hitting the house, causing $1,000 damage to the structure.

Caron’s car sustained $2,000 damage. No dollar amount of damage was listed for the trailer being pulled by Porter’s pickup. No injuries were reported.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Omaha-based Better Business Bureau is warning people about suspicious phone calls regarding medical alert devices. The BBB says consumers from across its service area have inquired about the calls. The people report that the callers say medical alert devices have been purchased for the people but the callers need more information about the recipients for delivery.

The BBB says it made return calls and was told by one person who answered that the alarm devices carried a fee of almost $35. BBB President Jim Hegarty says the calls to consumers were “very suspicious due to the secretive nature and lack of full disclosure to their real purpose.”

The Omaha-based BBB service area includes Nebraska and southwest Iowa.

Voters in Fremont County this week overwhelmingly approved a $5.5-million bond issue to pay for the construction of a new law enforcement center/jail. According to the Daily NonPareil, 20-percent of the registered voters turned out for the special election, and more than 72-percent agreed it was time for the county to have a new jail and law enforcement facility.

The current jail is more than 124-years old, and has been cited by State inspectors for not being handicapped accessible, and for its inability to adequately separate sentenced and non-sentenced prisoners. And, since there isn’t enough space to segregate male and female inmates and juveniles, the latter two types of individuals must be sent elsewhere.  Another problem faced by the current Fremont County Jail…which was built in 1889…is the settling of the foundation, which creates more problems with jail cell doors opening and closing properly.

In addition to Fremont County, Adair, Mills and Montgomery counties have all passed bond issues to replace old facilities in recent years.