Once upon a time, there were three Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division (CVED) officers named Mike from three Midwest states — Mike Eslinger from Indiana, Mike Krumm from Michigan and Mike Crispin from Ohio. Unwittingly laying the groundwork for what would later become the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative (HTAI), the three decided, one year, that during National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, they would work as a team to blanket their states with TAT materials to fight human trafficking by spreading awareness. And, in the mode of trash-talking sports enthusiasts who unabashedly touted the supremacy of their state’s college teams, to one another and others, they decided they’d also use their Tri-State Initiative as a means to continue their friendly competition, measuring which group of officers went to more places, spoke to more people and distributed the most TAT materials.
The Tri-State Initiative proved so successful that Michigan’s Krumm pushed the CVSA to replicate it internationally, which they eventually did in the form of the HTAI. Major Smithers remembers those days with the Mikes, having served as a Captain under Eslinger during the Tri-State Initiative era. He said, “I really became aware of the human trafficking problem, and TAT, when I came to CVED in 2013. CVED had developed a strong relationship with our counterparts in Michigan, particularly Mike Krumm, and he was a big advocate for TAT. His influence led us to invite TAT to come to our office and train all our troopers and motor carrier Inspectors with the TAT model. I believe we had all our CVED personnel fully trained with the TAT model by late 2014.”
A native Hoosier, law enforcement hadn’t been on Smithers radar in college, having graduated from Ball State University with a marketing degree. But after graduation, a trooper he respected deeply mentored him and convinced him law enforcement was a great way to serve his community.
Smithers graduated from the Indiana State Police Academy in December 1994 and spent five years as a road trooper with the Indiana State Police (ISP) in Indianapolis. From 2000 on, his career evolved with promotion after promotion, becoming captain and then assistant commander of CVED until promoted to his current position as major and commander in 2017. Along the way, he was selected to be part of the first, large class of troopers outside of the CVED to receive the certifications required to conduct federal CMV inspections, a certification he’s maintained. He also worked for six years as a hostage negotiator.
“The Indiana State Police have been killing it, especially these last couple of years, on engagement,” stated TAT Deputy Director and Senior Director of External Affairs Kylla Lanier. “Whether through their help at the Indy 500 last year, the World Cup HTAI in July, executing the Iowa MVE or Jon assigning law enforcement modules yearly to his troops, they are committed and consistent in their efforts, and I believe, as part of that original vanguard from the Tri-State Initiative, Jon’s leadership has been a critical factor.”
But Smithers, a man who prefers elevating his teammates rather than taking up the spotlight himself, gives a great deal of credit to ISP Motor Carrier Inspector, Zone Coordinator Kimberly Hill. “Hill leads CVED’s human trafficking efforts,” he commented. “She speaks to trucking industry and private groups several times a year across the state and handles almost all media interviews regarding human trafficking. Every industry presentation she does, no matter the main topic, she includes a human trafficking section. Her passion for raising awareness has led her to serve as secretary on the leadership team for CVSA’s Human Trafficking Prevention Program. And I credit TAT for creating the passion and awareness around fighting human trafficking. In my opinion, it’s the key to combating the problem in the U.S. I don’t know of any group that does it better.”
Smithers said it was also at Hill’s suggestion several years ago that he reviewed TAT’s entire catalog of law enforcement training material and decided TAT’s material was the way the ISP should fulfill the state law requiring every state certified police office to complete human trafficking training annually. After needed agency approvals, ISP has now been using TAT’s law enforcement training for its 1300 enforcement personnel for three years.
I’ve learned that trafficking not only relates to sex for sale but also to labor trafficking. I think the education in TAT’s training modules has had that same effect on every ISP trooper and motor carrier inspector.
Although Smithers hasn’t personally encountered a human trafficking case, he now treats every encounter as a potential human trafficking situation. “I’m more aware of it and use the knowledge I’ve gained from TAT in every commercial vehicle inspection or traffic stop I make,” he said. “I’ve learned that trafficking not only relates to sex for sale but also to labor trafficking. I think the education in TAT’s training modules has had that same effect on every ISP trooper and motor carrier inspector.”
Married to Barbara, the former vice president of the Indiana Motor Truck Association, who he met through trucking and with whom he shares four adult children, Smithers is up for retirement at the end of 2028, and harkening back to those sports-minded Mikes, he’s got a specific goal in mind.
“I am an avid sports fan, especially baseball,” he confessed, “and I want to attend a game at every major league baseball ballpark. Currently, I’ve been to 13, but once I retire, I hope to speed up that process, so I can then start on the minor league ballparks. I really enjoy traveling and baseball, and they seem to mesh well.”
To read more stories like Debra’s, check out our latest issue of Vantage Point.