FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
David Maus Jr. Declares Tampa Bay Chevrolet and Nissan Dealerships TraffickingFree Zones
Maus Nissan and Maus Family Chevrolet among the first Maus-run dealerships to implement the TraffickingFree Zone program
TAMPA, Fla., February 12, 2019 — Maus Nissan of New Port Richey and Maus Family Chevrolet of Tampa have issued a proclamation signed by David Maus Jr. declaring the car dealerships a TraffickingFree Zone in collaboration with the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking (USIAHT).
“The Maus family has a long history of supporting and caring for the most vulnerable in our communities. We are moved by the commitment of David Maus Jr. and his local dealerships to not only protect the victims of sex trafficking in our community, but to end the demand to purchase sex from them,” said Geoff Rogers, CEO and co-founder of the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking. “Maus Nissan and Maus Family Chevrolet are leading the way for businesses in Florida to recognize and join the fight against human trafficking. We are honored to work alongside David and his team to implement our TraffickingFree Zone program.”
The TraffickingFree Zone program is a holistic approach to ending sex trafficking in a city or community through multi-sector partnership involving law enforcement, government, businesses, schools and community-based organizations.
“When my family and I moved to the Tampa Bay area, we were shocked by the prevalence of human trafficking here. The more we’ve learned about the issue, the more involved we’ve become to combat it,” said David Maus Jr., general manager of Maus Nissan and Maus Nissan of Crystal River and vice president of Maus Family Chevrolet. “Once the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking approached us about TraffickingFree Zones, we knew we had to implement the program. It is of utmost importance to our company that we be people who impact our community — educating and equipping our employees on human trafficking is one way we’re able to do that.”
Maus Nissan and Maus Family Chevrolet are among the first of Maus’ dealerships to declare themselves TraffickingFree Zones, with Maus Nissan of Crystal River soon to follow.
“In order to make Florida a trafficking-free state, we need local business owners like David Maus Jr. to step up to the plate and be willing to take a hard stance on this issue. We applaud David and his employees for their determination to engage in the fight to combat sex trafficking,” said Stephanie Costolo, Florida regional manager of TraffickingFree Zones at U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking. “USIAHT looks forward to working with Maus Nissan and Maus Family Chevrolet to educate their employees and incorporate a zero-tolerance policy for sex trafficking in their HR policies.”
County-by-county, the TraffickingFree Zone program focuses on arresting and prosecuting sex buyers instead of those who are being sold, educating community members on sex trafficking and implementing numerous other demand-reduction techniques. Florida consistently ranks third in the nation for the number of calls made to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. TraffickingFree Zones have already been implemented across Florida in Pasco County, Pinellas County and the Cities of Clearwater, New Port Richey and Dade City.
To learn more about USIAHT and its work to end sex trafficking in the United States, visit https://usiaht.org. To learn more about the TraffickingFree Zone program and how you can bring it to your community, visit https://traffickingfreezone.com.
About USIAHT
The U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking (USIAHT) is a faith-based, non-profit organization fighting human trafficking in America. We work to prevent trafficking by combating demand in new and innovative ways, raising awareness, influencing policy, educating our youth and disrupting trafficking activities. We seek to rescue and rehabilitate victims by collaborating with organizations that are expert at rescuing abducted youth currently engaged in the sex trade. We also collaborate with federal, state and local government officials. With offices in Tampa, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Austin, we are addressing the national problem and also providing on-the-ground services. To learn more, go to https://usiaht.org.
Media Contact: Lindsey Twining
Cell Number: (703) 973-8064
Email: lindsey@pinkstongroup.com
