Rapid City Airport joins initiative to combat human trafficking

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - According to The International Labour Organization, 27.6 million people are victims of human trafficking around the world. To help identify victims, Rapid City Regional Airport has joined the Blue Lightning Initiative.

The airport is the first in either North or South Dakota to join the initiative, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign and trains airport personnel to identify and report potential traffickers and human trafficking victims.

Today, more than 350,000 aviation personnel have been trained through the Blue Lightning Initiative and since January 1, 2024, 630 of those people are employees, tenants, and members of the Rapid City airport community.

According to Rapid City Regional Airport communications and air service manager Megan Johnson, with the Black Hills being such a big tourist spot, the staff felt it was important to learn and train with BLI.

“We know that in the Black Hills, we see a large influx of travelers during the summer months. And that’s an opportunity to see a rise in human trafficking, we felt it was important as a transportation hub to not only train our employees but also raise public awareness about human trafficking,” Johnson said.

Rapid City travelers will start to see Blue Lightning Initiative messages throughout the airport including pre-security and restroom areas. Signs of human trafficking to look out for include no freedom of movement or social interaction and a non-genuine relationship, especially between parent or guardian and child. Members of the public are also able and encouraged to report any suspected human trafficking.

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