SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – The 84th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally starts on Friday and with the excitement also comes a somber reminder about human trafficking.
Last year, five men were arrested following a sex trafficking sting operation at the Rally. Between 2020 and 2022, authorities arrested 23 people for attempting to solicit children online during the Rally.
“Human trafficking is, as we call, hidden in plain sight. It’s not going to look like the man in the white van and people getting kidnapped,” McKenzie Huska, director of Marissa’s House and Outreach Services, said. “It can look like that, however, it’s going to be right in front of your face.”
That’s why Call to Freedom wants people to be aware of the indicators of human trafficking.
“If somebody seems like they’re maybe under somebody else’s control as far as maybe their dress doesn’t look appropriate, maybe their attire seems worn out, maybe they don’t seem medically okay,” Huska said. “They could maybe have signs and symptoms of being under the influence and not being able to leave the situation. They may not have their ID’s.”
The big thing is — if something feels wrong, trust your gut and reach out for help.
“Don’t approach people that are in those situations because only that person knows what safety looks like,” Becky Rasmussen, Founder and President of Call to Freedom, said.
Being aware of the indicators of human trafficking isn’t just reserved for people at the motorcycle rally. Rasmussen says it’s also important for people along the route to Sturgis to know what to look for as well.
“A lot of the Sturgis rally is what we call transit trafficking,” Rasmussen said. “So they’re typically taking victims from event to the next. We’ve known of lines between WE Fest to Sturgis to North Dakota. So they’re typically coming through our rural communities as well.”
That’s why Call to Freedom has resource flyers posted across the state. Rasmussen says victims can take the tabs off and call for help when they are in a safe spot.
And it’s not just victims noticing the posters.
“We get calls not only from those that are putting these tabs within their businesses but also community members when they’re going into the rest stop and they see that all these pull tabs are gone,” Rasmussen said. “They’re like, ‘wow, this is really happening in the state of South Dakota.'”
Rasmussen and Huska say common places where you might see signs of trafficking include hospitals, clinics, hotels, campgrounds and restaurants.
If you see something suspicious, reach out to the local non-emergency line or CrimeStoppers.
Call to Freedom also has safety tips for anyone attending big events like the Rally.
“Traffickers are great manipulators,” Rasmussen said. “They are going to approach you, they’re going to be friendly, they’re going to be familiar. They’re going to find out what your vulnerability is and they’re going to strike up conversation with you. But if you feel like this person is asking too many personal questions or something about them is trying to control or keep secrecy with that conversation — that’s a big red flag.”
If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, you can call or text the Call to Freedom intake line at 605-759-3565.
Other human trafficking resources:
- The National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888
- Click here for a map of Victims’ Services Shelters in South Dakota
- Click here for a human trafficking reporting form from the SD Attorney General’s Office
