Men and women over the age of 30 years old are permitted to apply. Past investigative experience is not necessary, but we often have police officers or members of the military apply. We have also had business owners, teachers, lawyers, and even a race car driver join the Delta Team. It is open for all to join, but the vetting process is extensive.

The vetting process is highly difficult. Applicants must first submit an application, then undergo multiple background checks and psychological evaluations. If those are passed, volunteers are invited to an in-person training event for 2 days of evaluations where testing is conducted in an environment conducive to the work we often find ourselves working in. Typically, only about 30% of those who apply are accepted into the program.

You do not have to have past investigative experience to be accepted onto DELTA team. We are looking for healthy individuals with strong integrity, mental grit, and interpersonal skills. We train extensively for every deployment on how to collect evidence, operate gear, and conduct intelligence gathering.

It can be, but we work hard to mitigate risk. The Exodus Road operates with strict guidelines and protocols for all investigative work. All investigators work on teams and with specific cases or missions as directed by our team leads. The Exodus Road also only operates with permission from local trusted police partners. Personal safety is obviously a very high concern, however, the places where trafficking occurs are dangerous ones. To date, we have never had physical violence take place with any staff or volunteer.

If you are accepted as a DELTA Team member, the expense for a deployment is around $5000. This covers airfare, lodging, and investigative expenses for a two-week deployment. DELTA members who serve on the team consistently are invited to do shorter deployments in smaller teams with specific cases, and those expenses can be covered by The Exodus Road. However, a standard deployment that takes place multiple times a year is expected to be fully covered by the investigator. We will help you with ideas on how to raise funds for your deployments. We ask for a commitment of two 2-week deployments per year.

If you are accepted, you will be placed on our DELTA roster. These men and women are notified of deployment dates and are expected to make at least one deployment each year in order to remain active on the team.

Absolutely. Our DELTA investigators are some of the most courageous, most committed individuals in The Exodus Road community. They sacrifice greatly to volunteer in this way. They give much to support our national field teams and police partners — and ultimately to those caught in human trafficking.

Deployments typically take place in Southeast Asia or Latin America. They usually involve between two to four investigators, working alongside our Delta Team Director, The Exodus Road leadership, and national staff. If you’d like to read a bit more about what an investigative experience may involve and why it’s important, you can read this article about our approach to investigative work.