The podcast featuring Lt. Randy Sutton, called America Out Loud is known as “the voice of American law enforcement,” interviewed Saved in America’s own Joseph Travers to learn more about the work being done to fight against human trafficking. Considered modern day slavery, human trafficking and child sex trafficking, is a huge problem. In fact, some 300,000 kids are reported missing each and every year. Of that number, some 30% will become part of the human trafficking industry. This horrific number and the increased growth of human trafficking was the impetus for the creation of Saved in America in the first place. 

Three Pillars of Saved in America

When founding this organization, the group of professionals determined to create a foundation based on three key pillars. The following is a breakdown of the three pillars that make up the basis of Saved in America:

• Highly Skilled Volunteers: First, every volunteer who works with Saved in America must be either a retired police detective or former military operative. Along with former police detectives, other volunteers are former Special Ops, Green Berets, and Navy SEALs. Stats show that in the first 48 hours after a kid runs away they are approached by a trafficker in 40% of the cases, showcasing the need for a quick rescue. Therefore, time is of the essence and why skilled volunteers are necessary. 

• No Cost to Families: The second pillar of Saved in America is keeping their services free of charge. This means Saved in America never charges for their services, as all their work is done on a volunteer basis. That is why fundraising and donations are so key in continuing the needed work that SIA is doing all throughout the nation. It costs about $6,000 a child to complete an investigation and to find the missing child, due to equipment needs and other costs. 

• Private Investigators: The third and final pillar that makes up the foundation of Saved in America is the fact that all the volunteers are licensed and insured private investigators. This means everything they do is within the scope of the law. 

Rehabilitation is Key

After a child is rescued from a human trafficking ring or even after they have been recovered as a runaway, they nearly always need rehabilitation. Thankfully, Saved in America has a specialist whose job it is to help kids get the recovery services they need to move on after this horrible experience.