Austin News

A statewide restaurant group is stepping up in the fight against human trafficking with signage and other resources to help Texas restaurants reach out to victims and provide help.

Earlier this month, Texas Restaurant Association announced downloadable signage that restaurants may hang in their restrooms to let victims know how to get help.

"Your business can passively communicate to trafficked individuals in the one public location where they will have privacy: Your public restroom," the association told its members. "Our tastefully designed placards are multilingual and should adhere to the inside of bathroom stall doors."

The association developed the initiative in partnership with Greater Dallas Restaurant Association, 24HourDallas, TABC, Office of the Secretary of State, Dallas Police Department, hck2 Partners, DuPriest POP, TransNation Translations and Dallas County.

The association also thanked restaurant franchisees Edith and Chris Aslam "for bringing to our attention the role restaurants and other businesses can take in helping get trafficked children and adults back to freedom," the association said in its message to members.

"We know that many victims of trafficking visit restaurants," Chris Aslam said in a related association announcement. "Often times, these victims use restrooms for privacy and safety.”