Governor
John Kasich
Kasich
launches ‘stop human trafficking’ awareness campaign
Coordinated
Effort is Part of An Unprecedented Campaign to Curb Human Trafficking
in Ohio
COLUMBUS
-- Today, Gov. John Kasich kicked off a new public awareness campaign
to ramp-up Ohio’s ongoing fight against human trafficking, the
illegal trade of people for commercial sex or forced labor
exploitation that enslaves approximately 1,000 Ohioans every year. The
new campaign, led by the Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, gives
Ohioans new resources for how they can personally help combat the
problem by reporting suspicious activity. It also is aimed at
connecting with trafficking victims themselves, with outreach
materials in places where they are likely to see them, such as public
transit sites and highway rest areas.
"We
may not want to admit it—it’s almost too horrific to imagine—but
the fact is that human trafficking is real and is happening across
Ohio. Over the past two years we've improved our laws to fight
trafficking and begin getting victims the help they need, but we must
do more. This incredible effort to coordinate state agencies and
provide resources free to the public to increase awareness takes Ohio
to the next level in our effort to bring an end to this modern-day
form of slavery," said Kasich.
The
campaign was unveiled by Kasich Administration officials at Ohio’s
5th Annual Human Trafficking Awareness Day, hosted by Rep. Teresa
Fedor (D-Toledo). Details of the campaign can be found here:
HumanTrafficking.Ohio.Gov. Its key areas include:
· To educate
the public on how to recognize the signs of human
trafficking;
· To promote
the appropriate method for reporting human trafficking
situations;
· To direct
victims of human trafficking to available services and
treatment, helping them to regain control of their lives.
To
date, the Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force has obtained the
following commitments from across Ohio:
· The Ohio
Turnpike commission will place posters in 14 service plazas
along the Ohio Turnpike, and will use the materials on toll plazas
when ad-space is not being used, and will display the materials on
Turnpike TV.
· The
Department of Public Safety will print 5,000 posters which will
be made available to the public.
· The
Department of Youth Services has committed to post materials in
their youth facilities and use the campaign to facilitate youth
community service projects that partner with local anti-trafficking
organizations and shelters.
· The
Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections will post the
materials in all prisons, along with community-based correctional
facilities and halfway houses. DRC estimates they could potentially
reach 125,000 Ohioans in January.
· The Ohio
Department of Health has committed to post the materials in
STD/TB clinics in every county throughout the state.
· The
Department of Jobs and Family Services will post materials in all
Ohio Farm Worker Program offices.
· The
licensing boards for health professionals (Nursing, Medical,
Pharmacy boards) are teaming up in a joint effort to reach their
licensees with the campaign materials.
· And the
Ohio Hispanic and Latino Affairs commission has translated
the materials into Spanish, and committed to distribute the materials
to Ohio’s new immigrant communities.
· The State
Library of Ohio will distribute posters to all 732 of
Ohio’s libraries.
Background:
In
March 2012, Gov. Kasich signed an Executive Order creating the Ohio
Human Trafficking Task Force, charging the group with marshaling
state resources to put a stop to human trafficking. In its
recommendations made to the governor, the Task Force cited a lack of
public knowledge as the most significant barrier to combating human
trafficking and determined that an education campaign would be
critical to the effort.
Human
trafficking – the illegal trade of human beings for commercial
sexual exploitation and forced labor – is one of the fastest
growing criminal enterprises worldwide. Each year an estimated 1,078
Ohio children become victims of human trafficking and 3,016 more are
at-risk for exploitation.
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