The Polaris Project is a non-profit NGO was founded in 2002, by Derek Ellerman and Katherine Chon, who were seniors at Brown University. Polaris provides a text and hotline service for victims of human trafficking, both sexual and slave labor. The organization works directly with victims, hosts tip and crisis hotlines, and offers solutions to those victimized by human trafficking. The organization is one of the largest anti-trafficking organizations in the US, with programs operating at local and national levels through their offices in Washington, D.C. and Newark, New Jersey (Wikipedia).

How It Works

Polaris has a hotline number 1(888) 373-7888 and a Text "BeFree" or 233733. Survivors or friends of survivors call or text. A live human being is on the other end. If they are in danger, local law enforcement is notified. Each call is considered a case. Trained workers ask further questions to understand the individual situation. Information and resources are offered to help the caller.

Technologies

Polaris uses Chatter , a Salesforce product, to connect workers, files, data and resources across distances. Chatter tracks critical projects in the mobile feed and allows Polaris workers to act on critical updates wherever they are.

Salesforce, was founded by Oracle's Marc Benioff and started as a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) product for sales. Salesforce has since developed to capitalize on social networking and recently, the Salesforce organization has partnered with IBM/Watson to incorporate Artificial Intelligence into their product. Salesforce is known for its database and trend forecasting in easy-to-understand infographics. According to Wikipedia, Nancy Pelosi was an early investor in Salesforce.

Relationship to THORN

From the Polaris Project website history page:

In early 2013, Polaris Project and Thorn: Digital Defenders of Children worked with leaders in the cloud computing industry to develop an SMS-based hotline for victims and survivors of human trafficking and at-risk populations. Communications developer Twilio provided the BeFree texting short code and technology to deliver the text messages, which are integrated into Polaris’s national hotline database, powered by Salesforce.com. The BEFREE Textline launched on March 28, 2013 with the goal of providing safe, secure, and confidential access to critical services and support entirely via SMS text message.

Incorporating Texting to the Polaris Service Model in 2013

This Washington Post article How text messages help the Polaris Project zero in on human trafficking explains in detail how the software works to handle a text.

Polaris Trafficking Statistics by State

Infographic of Trafficking by State (Sex and Labor)