Human trafficking: Proactive step being taken locally

COSHOCTON - Area officials want to bring awareness to the community about human trafficking. They have organized a conference and will put together a coalition in effort to make Coshocton County proactive about the issue that is becoming an epidemic across the country.

The Coshocton County Human Trafficking Conference will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, at the Hopewell School at 23720 Airport Road. It is open to the community and will also provide vital information and continuing education units for social workers, educators, nurses and nail and hair technicians who are often on the front lines of recognizing human trafficking.

“Our goal is to bring awareness to Coshocton and to also have a process in place to provide safe services for individuals who have been trafficked,” said Vicki Laudick, executive director of First Step Family Violence Intervention Services.

The staff of First Step helped organize the event with Leanne Rohr of the Family and Children First Council and Maternal and Child Health Center. The conference will feature representatives of the governor’s office and other state officials, including Jennifer Biddinger and Veronica Scherbauer of the Ohio Attorney General’s office. The conference was funded through a grant from the Ohio Children’s Trust Fund.

Laudick said while people might not think of rural communities being at risk for human trafficking, or that is only occurs in larger cities, there are startling examples of the crime in the state:

•Jefferson County, for example, has the highest per capita rate of human trafficking for a rural community in the state of Ohio.

•Children from Guatemala were found being held to work against their will, also called labor trafficking, in Marion county.

•Toledo is ranked fourth in the entire United States for human trafficking offenses.

•The proximity of the state to major interstate highways and access to truck stops, rest areas and other states make Ohio particularly vulnerable to the crime.

“The goal is to bring awareness to the community to be more proactive instead of reactive,” said Robin Snider, prevention educator at First Step who has also helped organize the conference.

Many people are not aware of human trafficking and how it can affect smaller communities, she continued.

“A lot of people believe this is a problem that occurs only in third-world countries, but it’s not,” she said.

Laudick said children from the ages of 12 to 14 are most at risk for human trafficking, but anyone can become a victim. At-risk children from challenging circumstances with difficult home lives are also at risk and those who solicit them offer acceptance, hope and love to lure them, she said.

“That’s why it’s important to be proactive and bring awareness so we know what to do in our community,” she said. “All of us need to be aware.”

The conference will address red flags of human trafficking and focus on ways victims can be encouraged to come forward and seek help. Laudick also invites people in the community, from educators to medical professionals to religious leaders, to join the coalition to give Coshocton a strong stance against the crime.

“It’s about educating our community and protecting our children and at-risk adults,” she said. “If we don’t talk about it, people won’t know that resources are available.”

For more information about the conference or joining the coalition, Laudick can be reached at 740-622-8504.