Tackling the human trafficking problem

PERKINS TWP. — The exact number of men, women and children currently being trafficked in Ohio is unknown, however, one thing most experts in the field agree on is this number is extremely high. Erie County's geographical position between Toledo, Cleveland and Columbus makes our community vulnerable to hosting these traffickers. Although human trafficking is not a topic many like to talk about, it is a topic we must force ourselves to be educated on to combat the problem and protect our families. This is the exact mindset of local human trafficking experts Tracy McGinley and Dr. Lara Wilken, who have dedicated their lives to spreading awareness in our community. The two women, in conjunction with myself, a township-based police community resource officer, have been working the past several months to create a training to help local police officers and emergency medical responders work together to better understand human trafficking and how to provide resources to victims. With an audience of nearly 40 local first responders, a team of local and state experts lead the training on human trafficking which took place on Jan. 19 at the Perkins Police Department. The first topic of the day was Human Trafficking 101, presented by McGinley, who is a professor of criminal justice at BGSU Firelands. McGinley stressed the fact that human trafficking is not always what the public perceives it to be, but, rather, is often centered around deceiving people into giving up their freedom. Victims are forced into providing sex or labor to generate income for their traffickers, often called pimps, because they have been brainwashed into thinking there is no way out, which often there is not. Pimps take control of their victims through isolation in conjunction with physical, emotional, financial and psychological threats and abuse. Wilken, an assistant clinical professor of nursing at Bowling Green State University, and her team — including Annette Mango, who is a survivor of sex trafficking, and Heather Wilde, who is a forensic nurse in the Columbus area — presented the medical side of human trafficking. With nearly 90% of individuals recovered from human trafficking reporting that, during their time of exploitation, they were seen and treated by a health care provider and trafficking was never recognized, the team stressed the importance of meeting patients where they are at while providing trauma-informed care. It is crucial for medical personnel to understand that every victim has different needs and, to best meet those needs, the most important thing first responders can do is listen to survivors. Into the afternoon, first responders heard from Harold D'Souza who immigrated from India with his family to the Cincinnati area. The D'Souza family was coerced into labor trafficking in the restaurant business with Mr. D'Souza and his wife working 15-hour days several days a week for no pay. D'Souza shared how he was afraid of law enforcement and did not know how to get away from his trafficker. D'Souza was eventually able to find freedom and now runs the nonprofit Eyes Open International, which works to combat human trafficking through empowerment. The training wrapped up with a message from former Ohio Sen. Teresa Fedor. Fedor spent her time in office working to toughen penalties for those convicted of human trafficking and preventing victims from being charged. Perkins police Detective Timothy Alexander shared his impression of the day. "We never know or even ask sometimes what's the story behind the criminal activity. Having the actual victims in the class speaking about what they have gone through in their own lives really touched my heart and, looking back at my career, dealing with people with similar problems, makes me think if I made the right decision at that time. Moving forward, things will be different. It's not going to be just put on the cuffs and haul you away. I'm going to ask those difficult questions and maybe I can save a life or give them the help that they really need. We just had two incidents very recently involving pregnant females who had narcotics on their person. Never would I have thought to ask if they were being trafficked for sex or work. It would never cross my mind, but, I assure you, it will now." The planning team intends to offer an event like this one at least on an annual basis. They also plan to continue to spread awareness throughout the community. Visit humantraffickinghotline.org for more information on human trafficking. Also be sure to follow the Perkins Police Department's Facebook page to stay informed on upcoming events. Thank you to all who helped make this day possible: Perkins Police Department, Perkins Fire Department, Bowling Green State University, Eyes Open International, Sam's Club Sandusky and Comfort Inn Sandusky.