806 Coalition offers new bar beverage to prevent human trafficking

Freedom in the 806 Anti-trafficking Coalition is introducing a new "806 Shot" to local bars as a part of its initiative to support community safety and empower individuals to discreetly signal for help in potentially dangerous or uncomfortable situations at local bars.

The new "shot" is a specialty beverage that patrons can order when they are in need of assistance or intervention. Currently, the coalition is working in collaboration with area bars to establish a protocol for each way the specialty drink can be ordered.

"It doesn't have to be that they have been hurt, that they think they are being trafficked or that their drink has been drugged or anything like that. If anyone feels uncomfortable or anything on a date, or even out with a group of friends, and they feel like they need help but don't know what to do, that is what this is going to be set up for," said Kimber Thompson, chair of the 806 Anti-Trafficking Coalition.

The Freedom in the 806 Coalition, created by Family Support Services in 2015, serves to bring local agencies together to prevent and bring awareness to human trafficking in the Texas Panhandle. The goal of the coalition is to serve survivors of human trafficking, while raising awareness of what trafficking looks like in Amarillo. Thompson said that the establishment of this new beverage option is just one of the many ways that they are working to prevent and reduce human trafficking in the Texas Panhandle.

Order options for the beverage include a "806 shot neat," where bar staff will escort the individual to their car; the shot ordered "on ice" means the individual is in need a of transportation, and the establishment will call them a taxi or Uber; if the beverage is ordered "with lime", staff will call law enforcement.

Local bars and establishments are encouraged to participate in the 806 Shot initiative by displaying flyers in areas throughout their establishment that are most likely to be noticed, such as the doors in their restrooms and other high traffic areas. The coalition said that they will play a role in training business staff members to recognize the signal and how to respond appropriately.

"Trafficking always looks different. Everyone kind of has their perceptions of what it is in the panhandle, and a big part of what we do is just educating on what it looks like here. Specifically for this campaign, we recognize that these could be the places where a trafficking situation, whether sex or labor, could be facilitated, and this is our way of establishing an opportunity for those individuals to ask for help before anything happens," said Azelin Roberts, Freedom in the 806 Co-Chair and Family Support Services Volunteer Advocate Coordinator.

"Just being able to tell the bartender that 'hey something is wrong' in a discrete way helps ensure that the situation doesn't escalate as well, and allows that individual the opportunity to quietly exit or reach out to law enforcement. This is also a great way to build up the culture of being aware, looking out for one another and having safe practices in local bars," Roberts added.

The coalition said that they plan for the beverage option to be fully launched in June for area bars, and then they plan to expand their prevention efforts to area restaurants that serve alcoholic beverages.

"Our plan will begin with places that serve over 21 only and then venture out from there. ... We have yet to make contact with all local bars; we currently have around 40-plus locations that we are currently working with to establish the 806 shot. ... Once we get into bars and have things more established, we will begin to include restaurants, beginning with those that offer a happy hour and get busy on those late weekend nights," Thompson said.

According to Thompson, the idea of the area-based beverage option stemmed from the world known "Angel Shot" that originated in Lincolnshire, England, in 2016 as a part of the "Ask for Angela" campaign launched for sexual assault prevention, but they chose to create a more unique option for the area that also allows the chance to create awareness.

"We would like to get to a place where everyone knows it is here, and if someone wishes to open a new bar or restaurant, that they are reaching out to us to say they want to offer an 806 shot too, to create that culture of safety and being able to help one another and allow everyone the ability to access help if needed," Thompson said.

For businesses seeking to implement the 806 shot, reach out to Freedominto806 on Facebook or Instagram.

For more information, go online to https://www.fss-ama.org/ .

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: 806 Coalition soon to offer new 806 Shot in Amarillo