City Council Looks At Restrictions On Local Hotels Aimed At Combating Human Trafficking
By Mike Dunn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Human trafficking often involves forced prostitution – and now Philadelphia City Council is considering new regulations on local hotels aimed at preventing that.
Councilman Ed Neilson has introduced two bills aimed at ensuring that hotels are not unwittingly making it easier for perpetrators of human trafficking.
"Some of the hotel industry rents their rooms out by an hourly rate," he says. "We want to stop that and make that we have a daily rate, and that they have to rent it by the full day."
So one measure would require only daily rates, and the other would require that workers receive training about human trafficking.
"We're also asking that all employees are shown a video," adds Neilson, "so they know what to look for when they have trafficking going on, and they have solicitation, prostitution within the hotel facility."
Ed Grose, executive director of the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association, says his group has worked with Councilman Neilson on the measures and now supports them. He said the hotels that are members of the Association do not offer hourly rates and many already offer worker training on spotting trafficking.
Neilson believes all reputable hotels would want to be on board:
"There's not a hotel in the city that wants this happening at their hotel. If that hits the news, that a hotel has trafficking in and out of it, they're not going to do well either."
No date has been set yet for a hearing on Neilson's measures.
