A couple of Arizona casinos recently received accolades for taking action to prevent human trafficking. Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort, properties of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, received the Protecting All From Exploitation (SAFE) Action Project Certification from the Arizona Anti-Trafficking Network (AATN) on September 27.
Typically the AATN along tourism-based organizations to render employees aided by the necessary expertise and information for, report and in addition prevent person trafficking.
To begin with casinos to get certification
The AATN works with tourism-based organizations to provide employees with the necessary knowledge and information to identify, report, and prevent human trafficking. There are more than two dozen tribal casinos in Arizona. While Arizona online casinos are still prohibited, there are various sweepstakes and social casinos available to players in The Grand Canyon State.
Talking Stick and Casino Arizona received certification after 94% of their combined workforce completed the AATN’s SAFE Action Project. The properties participated in the program earlier in preparation for Super Bowl LVII.
The AATN encouraged all businesses in the tourism industry to participate in the program. The two Arizona tribal casinos are the first casinos in the state to achieve certification at a high enough rate. AATN trained an additional 2,025 employees in just over two months.
Anthony Maxwell, the security director at Casino Arizona, stated that the certification demonstrates the casinos’ commitment to safety. He mentioned that the safety of their guests is a top priority, and they took extra precautions before the influx of tourists for the Super Bowl.
Casinos need to train hundred percent of their ecuries
Although the Super Bowl may have been the impetus for implementing the program, Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort aim to train 100% of their workforce through the SAFE Action Project by the end of the year. They plan to provide regular in-person training sessions and have also developed an online course for employees to complete at their own pace.
Maxwell emphasized that the SAFE Action Project Certification is just the beginning, and they will continue their efforts to train their staff to identify, report, and prevent human trafficking both on their properties and beyond. They hope that other communities in Arizona will follow suit.
Arizona positions 13th throughout nation in human trafficking
Members of the AATN SAFE Action Project are actively working to reduce those numbers and improve Arizona’s ranking. Furthermore, they hope to serve as an example for other in-state industries and other states that are seeking to take a stronger stance in preventing human trafficking.