PCCD, PCPA, PCAR, PCADV and Office of Victim Advocate Recognize Award-Winning "Investigating Human Trafficking" Online Training Course

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 4, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Harrisburg-based integrated marketing agency, JPL, recently received a Gold-Award in the 44^th Annual Creativity International Awards for their work on "Investigating Human Trafficking" training modules.

These online training courses were developed in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association (PCPA), PA Coalition Against Rape (PCAR), PA Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV), the PA Office of the Victim Advocate (OVA), Delaware County District Attorney Pearl Kim and the Polaris Project to help train law enforcement to combat human trafficking in the Commonwealth.

According to a June 2012 Joint State Government Commission report, the crime of human trafficking, which is the illegal trade in humans for purposes of forced labor or sexual exploitation, is the 2^nd largest form of organized crime in the world behind the illegal drug trade.  Approximately 12.3 million people worldwide are the victims of trafficking.

"PCCD is in a unique position where we can facilitate local and regional efforts to combat this horrible crime," PCCD Executive Director Linda Rosenberg said.  "We are proud to have played a part in the development of this important training, and we congratulate the JPL learning solutions team for receiving an internationally-recognized award for their media efforts."

The online training course was designed to increase awareness and understanding of the types of human trafficking, provide steps to assess crime scenes and determine if trafficking is involved, and demonstrate how to properly communicate with victims.  More than 11,000 Pennsylvania law enforcement officers are currently registered to take the online class.

"The human trafficking course is a much-needed addition to our arsenal of online learning offerings. The police officers can take this training on demand and spend more of their valuable time protecting their communities from crimes such as human trafficking," said Chris Braun, technology coordinator for the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association.

"Trafficking can be hard to detect, but we know that officers who have been trained to recognize warning signs have identified victims here in Pennsylvania," said Delilah Rumburg, CEO of PCAR.  "JPL has done a truly magnificent job in producing this resource – they're making it possible for so many more officers to be able to identify victims and provide services to meet their emotional and safety needs, as well as arrest traffickers."

The Gold-Award was presented to JPL in the 2014 Creativity Media & Interactive Competition in the "New Media and Web Design – E-Learning" category.  Since 1970, the Creativity International Awards have been one of the longest, independent advertising and graphic design competitions in the United States.

"Human trafficking is a crime and a tragedy happening right here in Pennsylvania. That's what makes this online training course for our law enforcement so critically important. And that's what makes this recognition so gratifying. We congratulate JPL on winning the Gold-Award," PCADV Executive Director Peg Dierkers said.

"PCCD has always been the Commonwealth's leader in bringing all facets of the justice system together to create innovative solutions and this award exemplifies the power of collaboration between victim's services and the justice system. The Office of the Victim Advocate congratulates JPL and all those involved in the creation of this powerful and vital training on human trafficking," said Commonwealth Victim Advocate Jennifer Storm.

The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency's mission is to enhance the quality and coordination of criminal and juvenile justice systems, to facilitate the delivery of services to victims of crime and to increase the safety of our communities. For more information, visit www.pccd.state.pa.us or call 717-705-0888.

Media contact:
PCCD, Linda Rosenberg, Executive Director, 717-705-0888
PCPA, Christopher J. Braun, 717-236-1059
PCAR, Kristen Houser, 717-728-9740, ext. 144
PCADV, Ellen Lyon, 717-919-9924
JPL, Susan Cort, 717-901-4123

SOURCE Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency