AND NATIONAL CONCERN, AND YES, IT IS ALSO

A PROBLEM RIGHT HERE IN GREATER CINCINNATI.

HELLO, I'M KATHY LEHR AND ON THIS EDITION OF FOCUS

A CONVERSATION ABOUT EFFORTS TO END SLAVERY RIGHT HERE,

RIGHT NOW.

IN 2012, THE SALVATION ARMY PARTNERED WITH END SLAVERY

CINCINNATI TO EXPAND THE RESOURCES AND SERVICES

AVAILABLE LOCALLY TO ADDRESS AND COMBAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING

IN OUR COMMUNITY.

HOW BIG IS THE PROBLEM LOCALLY?

WHO IS AT RISK?

AND HOW ARE THE SLAVERY RINGS BROKEN UP?

OUR GUESTS TODAY TO EXPLORE THE TOPIC: ERIN MEYER,

ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING PROGRAM COORDINATOR

AT THE SALVATION ARMY AND COLLISION MANAGER OF END

SLAVERY CINCINNATI; AND LUKE BLOCHER, DIRECTOR

OF NATIONAL STRATEGIC INITIATIVES NATIONAL

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD FREEDOM CENTER.

THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU, KATHY.

>> LEHR: WHAT EXACTLY IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING?

HOW DO YOU DEFINE IT?

>> WELL, IT CAN MOST SIMPLY BE DESCRIBED AS MODERN DAY

SLAVERY.

YOU KNOW, WE THINK OF HISTORIC SLAVERY,

INDIVIDUALS WHO CAN'T, WHO AREN'T ABLE TO LEAVE A TYPE

OF WORK, THEY ARE BEING FORCED TO WORK, THEY ARE

BEING EXPLOITED.

IT IS THE SAME TYPE OF CONCEPT WHEN WE'RE

TALKING ABOUT WHAT SLAVERY LOOKS LIKE TODAY.

SOME OF IT LOOKS EVEN MORE TO WHAT THE HISTORIC SLAVERY

LOOKED LIKE THAN OTHER TYPES.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE STILL HAVE DOMESTIC SERVITUDE HERE

IN CINCINNATI, WHERE INDIVIDUALS ARE FORCED

TO WORK IN HOMES, COOKING, CLEANING, TAKING CARE

OF KIDS, AND ARE NOT ABLE TO LEAVE AND ARE NOT BEING

PAID FOR THEIR SERVICES.

WE ALSO HAVE TRAFFICKING SUCH AS SEX TRAFFICKING HERE

IN CINCINNATI, WHETHER THAT'S MASSAGE PARLORS,

BROTHELS, OR PIMP-CONTROLLED PROSTITUTION ESCORT SERVICES

YOU CAN FIND ONLINE.

IT'S A PROBLEM THAT'S HERE AND WE SEE IT IN A VARIETY

OF DIFFERENT FORMS.

GENERALLY IT'S THE EXPLOITATION OF MEN,

WOMEN AND CHILDREN FOR EITHER LABOR

OR COMMERCIAL SEX.

>> LEHR: I THINK MANY PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED TO KNOW

THAT IT IS GOING ON RIGHT HERE AT HOME.

YOU THINK ABOUT IT HAPPENING SOMEPLACE ELSE, SOME OTHER

TIME.

WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THIS ON OUR COMMUNITY?

HOW BIG OF A PROBLEM IS IT LOCALLY?

>> I MEAN IT IMPACTS EVERYONE WHETHER OR NOT

WE WANT TO SEE IT OR ARE ABLE TO SEE IT.

IT DOES IMPACT US ALL.

AND IN TERMS OF THE PREVALENCE, THERE REALLY

AREN'T A LOT OF STUDIES OUT THERE BUT WE DO KNOW THAT

WE'RE INCREASINGLY SEEING REPORTS OF IT, WE'RE

INCREASINGLY GETTING HOTLINE CALLS TO OUR 24 HOUR HOTLINE

REPORTING THE ISSUE.

THAT IS MAINLY BECAUSE THERE'S JUST

A BROADER AWARENESS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING, NOT

NECESSARILY THAT ALL OF THE SUDDEN

WE'VE GOT THIS GREAT INFLUX OF WHAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING

OF OUR PREVALENCE OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING HERE

IN THE GREATER CINCINNATI AREA, BUT I MEAN IT'S

SOMETHING WE SEE EVERYWHERE.

IT'S -- AT NIGHT IN PIMP-CONTROL PROSTITUTION

BUT IT'S ONLINE ON CRAIG'S LIST AND ON BACK PAGE ESCORT

ADS.

IT'S IN RESTAURANTS, IN HOTELS EITHER

THROUGH COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION HOTELS,

OR THE HOTEL STAFF THAT ARE WORKING THERE WHO ARE BEING

FORCED TO WORK THERE AND ARE NOT BEING PAID AND ARE NOT

BEING ABLE TO LEAVE OR OTHERWISE BEING

CONTROLLED.

IT CAN BE SEEN AGAIN LIKE I SAID DOMESTIC SERVITUDE,

IN OUR FACTORIES, ON OUR FARMS.

JUST BECAUSE WE THINK OF CINCINNATI AS A CITY EVEN

DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE NOT SEEING TRAFFICKING IN BUTLER

COUNTY OR IN WARREN COUNTY OR OUT THE MORE RURAL AREAS

IN THE GREATER CINCINNATI AREA.

WE SEE IT ACROSS THE GLOBE, WE SEE IT ACROSS THE U.S.,

WE SEE IT ACROSS THE GREATER CINCINNATI AREA REGION JUST

IN DIFFERENT FORMS DEPENDING ON THE COMMUNITY.

BUT IT IS IN MANY INDUSTRIES.

>> I THINK ONE OF THE POINTS THAT ERIN MADE IS REALLY

CRITICAL WHICH IS THAT WE HAVE OUR EXHIBIT

AT THE FREEDOM CENTER IS CALLED INVISIBLE SLAVERY

TODAY BECAUSE THE REALITY IS THAT OUR SORT OF SENSE

OF THE NUMBERS HASN'T CAUGHT UP TO THE REALITY

OF THE SITUATION BECAUSE THE AWARENESS IS

SO LOW RELATIVELY SPEAKING.

AND THE REASON THAT ERIN IS FIELDING SO MANY MORE

HOTLINE CALLS AND THE REASON THERE'S SO MUCH MORE

REPORTING HAPPENING ISN'T I WOULD --E I FEEL PRETTY

CONFIDENT SAYING, BELIEVING THAT IT IS NOT BECAUSE THIS

JUST STARTED, THAT PEOPLE ARE JUST STARTING TO FIGURE

OUT YOU CAN CONTROL PEOPLE AND EXPLOIT THEM AND NOT PAY

THEM.

IT IS THAT WE ARE JUST FIGURING OUT HOW TO SEE IT.

AND I SAY THAT WE IN SORT OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

AND THE WAY THE BALANCE REALLY STARTS TO TIP IN THIS

ISSUE IS WHEN PEOPLE EVERY DAY ARE SORT OF HAVE THIS

TOP OF MIND.

SO WHEN THEY SEE PEOPLE IN A SITUATION

IN A RESTAURANT AND SOMETHING LOOKS FISHY

OR THEY SEE SOMEONE IN A MASSAGE PARLOR

OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND SOMETHING DOESN'T SEEM

RIGHT, THEY DON'T SEEM TO BE IN CONTROL OF THEMSELVES.

INSTEAD OF JUST REMARKING THAT THAT SEEMS WEIRD

AND WALKING AWAY, YOU SAY, "I'M GOING TO CALL THIS

INTO THIS HOTLINE."

AND THAT'S HOW ALL OF THE SUDDEN THERE STARTS

TO BE CONSEQUENCES TO DOING THIS.

FOR SOME LONG THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY INCREDIBLY

PROFITABLE AND SAFE CRIME BECAUSE THERE WAS SO LITTLE

AWARENESS THAT IT WAS HAPPENING.

YOU COULD JUST DO IT AND GET AWAY WITH IT.

AND THE TIDE IS STARTING TO TURN THERE, BUT IT'S

A LOT MORE WORK TO BE DONE WITH RAISING THE GENERAL

PUBLIC'S LEVEL OF AWARENESS OF WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE

AND WHAT YOU SHOULD DO WHEN YOU HAVE SOME SUSPICIONS

ABOUT IT.

AND THAT'S A BIG PART OF WHAT WE'RE BOTH INVOLVED

IN, BUT ALSO LOTS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE

INVOLVED IN.

>> LEHR: I WAS GOING TO SAY, TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE

ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SALVATION ARMY

AND WORKING TOWARD BANISHING HUMAN TRAFFICKING.

>> WELL, I'LL JUST SAY FROM THE FREEDOM CENTER

PERSPECTIVE WE HAVE A VERY CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH ERIN,

WITH END SLAVERY CINCINNATI, AND THE SALVATION ARMY,

AROUND THIS IDEA OF PUBLIC AWARENESS.

WE'VE PARTNERED THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE CALENDAR YEAR

TO HAVE A MONTHLY SERIES EVERY THIRD THURSDAY

AT THE FREEDOM CENTER AT 6 P.M.

WE HAVE AN EVENT WHICH IS MEANT TO RAISE PUBLIC

AWARENESS AROUND THIS, THERE WILL BE A FILM SHOWING

OR A LECTURER OR A PANEL DISCUSSION COVERING

THE DIFFERENT VARIETY OF FORMS THIS TAKES THAT

ERIN MENTIONED.

TALKING ABOUT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE HERE IN CINCINNATI,

BUT ALSO TALKING ABOUT HOW IT LOOKS AROUND THE WORLD.

AND THROUGH THAT PROCESS WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO MAKE

THIS GET -- BUBBLE TO THE SURFACE OF PEOPLE'S

AWARENESS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THIS COMMUNITY

SO THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT ISN'T LIKE YOU MENTIONED,

KATHY, SIMPLY SOME CONCEPT THAT EXISTS OVERSEAS

OR IN SOME SORT OF ACADEMIC INTEREST.

IT'S A REAL CHALLENGE THAT WE'VE GOT TO CONFRONT HERE.

>> LEHR: WHO'S MOST AT RISK?

>> I WOULD SAY A TRAFFICKER CAN BE ANYONE AND

A TRAFFICKING VICTIM CAN BE ANYONE.

KIND OF PULLING OFF WHAT LUKE WAS SAYING

WITH EDUCATING THE COMMUNITY, THE MORE

YOU KNOW ABOUT WHO IS AT RISK, WHO COULD BE

A TRAFFICKER, HOW YOU CAN IDENTIFY IT, HOW

YOU CAN AVOID IT, AVOID BEING VICTIMIZED, THE MORE

YOU CAN REPORT THOSE CRIMES, THE MORE YOU CAN PREVENT IT

IN OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.

WE, IN ADDITION TO OUR TRAINING EVENTS EVERY

THIRD THURSDAY, WE ALSO OFFER FREE TRAININGS

TO THE COMMUNITY, ANY COMMUNITY GROUP CAN

APPLY ONLINE ON OUR WEBSITE AND SIGN THEIR GROUP UP

FOR AN INFORMATIONAL SESSION OR A TRAINING OR

PRESENTATION OR REQUEST A SPEAKER

SO THAT THEY CAN BRING THE EDUCATION OF HUMAN

TRAFFICKING TO THEIR GROUP, TO THEIR COMMUNITY, SO THAT

THEY KNOW WHAT ARE THE SIGNS AND WHAT TO REPORT.

AND AGAIN, THAT HELPS EXPAND PREVENTING WHO MIGHT BE

AT RISK.

SO MOST STUDIES THAT INVESTIGATE WHAT SEX

TRAFFICKING LOOKS LIKE AND WHO IS AT RISK WHEN

WE TALK ABOUT SEX TRAFFICKING,

RUN AWAY AND HOMELESS YOUTH ARE PROBABLY THE BIGGEST

WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SEX TRAFFICKING.

THE AVERAGE AGE OF ENTRY INTO PROSTITUTION

IN THE UNITED STATES IS 13.

THAT MEANS THAT THE AVERAGE INDIVIDUAL WHO IS BEING

EXPLOITED THROUGH COMMERCIAL SEX STARTED WHEN THEY WERE

IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.

AND AS A 13 YEAR OLD YOU'RE NOT MAKING THAT DECISION

ON YOUR OWN.

LIFE SITUATION, INDIVIDUALS IN YOUR ENVIRONMENT ARE

INFLUENCING YOU BE MAKING THAT DECISION OR ARE FORCING

YOU INTO THAT SITUATION.

AND SO, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHO IS AT RISK, RUN

AWAY AND HOMELESS YOUTH, INDIVIDUALS WHO FEEL THAT

THEY DON'T HAVE OTHER RESOURCES,

THERE AREN'T PEOPLE WHO THEY CAN REACH OUT

TO FOR HELP OR THAT YOU KNOW THAT THEIR FAMILIES HAVE

ABANDONED OR THEY DON'T FEEL THAT

THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE A SUPPORT SERVICE FOR THEM

ANY MORE -- OR SUPPORT GROUP.

THEY ARE AT RISK WHEN SOMEONE COMES ALONG

AND SAYS, "HEY, YOU KNOW, I CAN LOVE YOU, YOU CAN BE

A PART OF MY FAMILY.

WE CAN MAKE MONEY TOGETHER; WE CAN DO WHAT YOU WANTED

TO DO." TWO WEEKS FROM THEN, "IF

YOU REALLY LOVE ME, YOU'D GO DANCE FOR ME.

IF YOU REALLY LOVE ME YOU'D HAVE SEX WITH THIS FRIEND

OF MINE FOR MONEY." AND IT GOES ON

AND ON AS THAT EXPLOITATION BUILDS AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS

GET FORCED INTO THE LIFE AND THEN THEIR LIFE BECOMES

A VERY DIFFERENT STORY DAY BY DAY ON THE STREETS

IN PIMP-CONTROL PROSTITUTION.

BUT ALSO, FOREIGN NATIONALS WHEN WE'RE TALKING

ABOUT LABOR TRAFFICKING OR SEX TRAFFICKING.

ANYBODY WHO IS VULNERABLE IN ANY WAY, WHICH LET'S FACE

IT WE ALL ARE.

SO TRAFFICKERS ARE REALLY JUST OUT THERE PREYING

ON INDIVIDUALS' VULNERABILITIES.

WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LABOR TRAFFICKING,

THE CHRONICALLY UNEMPLOYED WHICH IN THIS ECONOMY IS

A LARGER NUMBER THAN MAYBE AT OTHER POINTS

IN OUR HISTORY.

SOMEONE MAYBE OFFERS YOU A JOB, SEEMS A LITTLE

BIT RISKY BUT YOU'RE WILLING TO TAKE THAT RISK

BECAUSE YOU NEED THAT MONEY TO SUPPORT YOUR FAMILY.

AND THEN YOU CONTINUE TO GET EXPLOITED EVEN FURTHER

AND YOU FIND YOURSELF IN A LABOR TRAFFICKING

SITUATION.

IT CAN BE ANYONE AND TRAFFICKERS KNOW THAT

AND PREY ON EACH INDIVIDUAL'S

VULNERABILITIES.

>> KATHY, I THINK THAT'S THE REALLY -- ERIN REALLY

SUMMARIZED THE KEY POINT WHICH IS THAT THE

FUNDAMENTAL PROFILE OF A SUCCESSFUL HUMAN

TRAFFICKER IS SOMEONE WHO CAN SEE VULNERABILITY

AND THEN PREY ON IF AND FIGURE OUT HOW

TO EXPLOIT IT.

WHETHER THAT IS SOMEONE WHO HAS EMOTIONAL VULNERABILITY

OR WHETHER IT IS SOMEONE WHO HAS FINANCIAL RESOURCE

VULNERABILITY OR SOMEONE THAT'S IN THE INSTANCE

OF A FOREIGN NATIONAL WHO HAS SORT OF A LEGAL

VULNERABILITY.

THEY FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT PERSON'S VULNERABILITY IS

AND THEY FIGURE OUT HOW TO EXPLOIT IT SO THAT

THEY CONTROL THAT PERSON FOR THEIR OWN PROFIT.

AND THAT'S -- THAT'S UNFORTUNATELY A TIME LESS

STORY OF HUMAN HISTORY.

I MEAN THAT KIND OF ACTIVITY, THAT KIND

OF MOTIVATION HAS EXPANDED, HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE

WE'VE BEEN AROUND.

NOW THAT'S A PRETTY DEPRESSING FACT, BUT THERE'S

INSPIRATIONAL GOOD FACT ASIDE TO THAT WHICH IS THERE