COLUMBUS, Ohio — A bill making its way through the state legislature would crack down on human trafficking if it passes. It comes at a time when the Salvation Army of Central Ohio is helping an increasing number of human trafficking survivors.
"Police officers know right now that where you have drugs, you have sex trafficking. Where you have drugs and sex, you have guns," Republican Representative Cindy Abrams said. "I mean everything's all related, sadly."
Abrams co-sponsored the bill that would increase penalties for drug trafficking, create the offense of participating in an organization for trafficking people and make that a first-degree felony.
"It's devastating to see the abuse that's involved mentally, physically, and again, no one wants to sell themselves."
Since 2007, the Salvation Army of Central Ohio's Anti-Human Trafficking program has been helping people escape that life.
"They may be 20 when we're meeting them, but they can also be 60," Salvation Army of Central Ohio Anti-Human Trafficking Director Michelle Hannan said. "So, there's a huge age range of folks who have had this life of exploitation."
In 2022, the program helped 511 survivors of human trafficking. From October of last year through this September, it has helped 850. Hannan says the increase could mean more trafficking incidents, but not necessarily.
"It also could be that word of mouth is greater and people are hearing within the community of survivors that help is out there," Hannan said.
Just this summer, the Salvation Army made a room in their Main Street location as their anti-human trafficking hub. They can meet with survivors, give them food and clothing, arrange for medical and mental health care and then help them make a plan for housing, education or job training.
"To help them figure out where they want to go next and to help them on that journey to get there," Hannan said.
The Salvation Army will also be providing in-take and case management services for Harriet's Hope, the new 52-unit affordable housing community specifically for human trafficking survivors. Partners just announced this week it will open on Friday.
"It's really changing the landscape," Hannan said. "The work we've been doing now for 16 years, really the primary need that remains unmet in the community is affordable housing."
House Bill 230 had its sixth hearing on Tuesday in the House Homeland Security Committee. The committee to have another hearing Wednesday morning.