Ohio announces it will launch first-ever state-level human trafficking hotline

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) – Ohio announced it will launch the “first-ever” statewide human trafficking hotline.

At the fifth annual Human Trafficking Summit in Columbus on Wednesday, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost revealed a statewide human trafficking hotline, with the phone number 844-END-OHHT (844-363-6448). The service will funnel incoming tips on suspected sex and labor trafficking directly to the appropriate law enforcement entities.

The summit was attended by survivors, social workers, healthcare professionals, law enforcement officers, lawyers, prosecutors, judges and other community stakeholders who work to end human trafficking in Ohio.

“It’s simple: the more we know, the more we can do to help,” Yost said. “We need to keep pushing these efforts forward so that, every day, those who buy sex or compel another’s labor know that we’re coming for them.”

A national human trafficking hotline, with the number 888-373-7888, was created in 2007. The service connects victims with support services, as well as receives tips about potential human trafficking situations and reports that information to the appropriate authorities.

The national line is run by Polaris, a nonprofit, non-governmental organization based in Washington, D.C. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can be reached by phone, text, webchat, email or webform in over 200 languages.

Since its inception, the hotline has received about 432,902 communications, identifying 100,891 cases of human trafficking and 197,000 victims, according to its website . When it comes to Ohio, the national hotline has received 12,953 signals from the state, identifying 3,630 cases and 6,825 victims.

Ohio ranks among the top 10 states for number of calls made to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, according to Yost. Ohio has one of the largest interstate systems in the nation, making it easier for traffickers to transport victims, the Ohio Turnpike states.

The Ohio hotline will go live later this year; Yost did not specify a date. His office told NBC4 it is not ready to share further information, such as if the hotline will be available 24/7 and who will work it, at this time because details are still being finalized.

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