Reported Ohio Human Trafficking Cases Increase

A report by the state's human trafficking task force says the number of Ohio cases reported to a national hotline rose sharply from 2012 to 2015. Ohio rose from eleventh to fourth in calls to the hotline during that period. The data does not capture all incidents of trafficking. The Ohio Department of Public Safety says training and awareness programs are revealing a hidden population, but the report does not signal an increase in human trafficking cases. State anti-trafficking groups reported handling 445 cases in the first half of 2016.