How we can kick human trafficking out of the massage industry - The News Journal

[massage]

opinion


Dustyn Thompson

Published 8:01 AM EDT Jul 8, 2019


Dustyn Thompson is a licensed massage therapist and political activist.

As the legislative session comes to a close, it is important to acknowledge the work that has been done to help in the battle against human trafficking in Delaware.

Still, as massage professionals, we can do more to help combat human trafficking by educating ourselves and our patients on the signs of illicit activity and how to report it.

It has been over a year now since the massage establishment license has been implemented in Delaware to ensure all massage establishments were licensed with the state. In some ways, the measures taken have worked, but in other ways, we still have a long way to go to accomplish the legitimate goals the bill sought to accomplish.

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By and large, the measure was an attempt to crack down on illicit massage parlors operating as human trafficking sites in Delaware. Massage businesses are now required to submit to possible inspections and audits as well as obtain a free establishment license requiring a licensed massage therapist to be declared the person in charge of the establishment.

All of these requirements were intended and are designed to be harsher for illegitimate establishments, rather than legitimate ones. Private single-therapist home practices were exempt, as were many franchised spas, chiropractic, and physical therapy offices, and other medical facilities.

The establishment regulations included certain provisions that essentially created red flags for the public to know if they may have one of these illicit parlors in their community. These red flags include:

• Massage establishments can only accept patients until 9:00 pm. If you see practices open late, especially with neon lights or other notices to the public of such availability, this is a huge red flag and should be reported.
• Businesses may not have any coverings on the windows of the storefront which block the ability to see into the lobby from the outside.
• If there is signage for the establishment, the sign must display the actual name of the business. Signs cannot simply say “massage,” rather than the name of the establishment.
• Businesses are also now required to display their establishment license in a conspicuous location inside the front entrance.

If you see a practice not abiding by these regulations, there are two options you have to report these issues.

If there is a major offense, such as witnessing behaviors which lead you to believe that there is human trafficking taking place, please call the State Police immediately. The State Police are now fully equipped to handle these calls, as there have been numerous trainings on this issue in the last five years.

If you are unsure about whether the complaint you have warrants police intervention, allow the Division of Professional Regulation to make that decision. Simply give them a call at (302) 744-4500 and talk to one of the investigators.

Let them know the address of the suspected location if possible and explain which of the regulations listed above they are not complying with. They will either take the complaint and work with the police, do internal investigations, or take your complaint and ask you to follow up with the State Police.

Even with these measures in place, there is still more Delaware needs to do in order to fully snuff out human trafficking as it relates to these illicit parlors. Maryland, for example, has a law enforcement task force specifically focused on their human trafficking issue. This is something Delaware needs to fully commit to immediately.

We cannot continue to rely on our already overtaxed police force to handle this situation. We need to stop trying to chip away at this problem and go full force against this kind of criminal behavior. We need to make it clear that Delaware will make it a nightmare for any trafficking operation to exist in Delaware.

The fines for non-compliance of the establishment regulations are one method of making it too expensive to operate, but that means the public has to report these bad actors. Spending resources on a specific task force is a crucially needed investment, not just another expense. Anyone who questions that needs to take into consideration the cost of the repercussions for just one person, especially a child, being trafficked.

As massage therapy becomes fully integrated into the medical field, it is incumbent upon all massage therapists to ensure that our industry is never used as a front for human trafficking. To that end, we need to work together with patients, law enforcement, regulators, and legislators to put an end to human trafficking in Delaware through a blend of education and advocacy.

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