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Akron Muni Judge Cook shares view on human trafficking
Published: July 22, 2016
In my role as a judge on the Akron Municipal Court and as a longtime proud resident of Akron, I am deeply alarmed by the unsettling statistics surrounding the crime of human trafficking and its prevalence in our own community. Specifically, I am concerned about the safety of our children and am writing today in order to urge citizen awareness of this horrific issue.
The crime of human trafficking is akin to modern-day slavery and is happening right here in Summit County. For the past year, I have been involved with the Summit County Collaborative Against Human Trafficking (SCCAHT), a regional organization dedicated to raising awareness about human trafficking by engaging professionals in law enforcement, social services, the medical field, and other community support groups. While the Summit County Court system does not currently have a specialty court dedicated to human trafficking, I volunteer my personal time to this worthy cause.
On Saturday, July 9, 2016, I and other members of local victim advocate groups participated in a S.O.A.P. (Saving Our Adolescents From Prostitution) event. We delivered miniature bars of soap printed with labels containing a 24/7 emergency hotline number to local hotels, where victims of human trafficking often find themselves alone. The goal of the effort was to reach victims and provide a means for them to contact local authorities, as well as create heightened awareness among hotel staff members about the warning signs of human trafficking. In addition, we provided missing person fliers for hotel staff to post in their service area to report if they saw any of these persons. At our last hotel, the front desk clerk actually recognized one of the girls.
I have also been involved with other local efforts to raise awareness that trafficking in the form of labor and sex is right in our own backyards and not just an international problem. In October, 2015, I participated in a seminar highlighting Summit County’s efforts to combat human trafficking and explained how victims are now able to have their criminal records expunged. The seminar featured the Franklin County Municipal Court’s C.A.T.C.H. Court (Changing Actions to Change Habits), a specialty court dedicated to treating prostitution defendants as victims and providing them with resources and effective alternatives to the legal system. In April, 2016, I spoke to the junior high and high school girls at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy in Cuyahoga Falls, informing them about how to identify potential victims and educating them about resources to help.
The National Human Trafficking Resource center reports that Ohio had the sixth most calls reporting trafficking of any state. With ample highway connections to other states and to the Canadian border, Ohio provides easy access for traffickers to transport victims. Furthermore, the city of Cleveland is a supplier city, attributed in large part to its high poverty rate and lack of employment opportunities, which creates a lot of social issues, including trafficking.
I urge everyone to recognize and report the signs of human trafficking:
• Scripted/rehearsed answers to casual questions
• Appearance of physical/sexual abuse; has bruises or other physical trauma;
• Is withdrawn and seems depressed, afraid, anxious, tense or nervous
• Is hungry, appears malnourished
• Sudden change in clothing, has expensive items that do not fit age
• Always under watch by noticeably older ‘boyfriend”
• Living where they work or being transported to/from work
• Always on the phone – frequently perpetrators connect with victims online
If you suspect or encounter a child that you believe is being trafficked, please contact any of the below numbers.
National Human Trafficking Resource Center: 1.888.3737.888
Victims Assistance: 330.376.0040
Children Services Crisis Hotline: 330.434.KIDS
Child Crisis Assistance: 330.762.0591
Text HELP to #233733
Honorable Katarina Cook, Akron Municipal Court Judge
330.375.2053
Judge Katarina Cook was elected to the Akron Municipal Court in 2009. Judge Cook also presides over OVI (Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated) Court. For more information about Akron Municipal Court services and programs, please visit https://courts.akronohio.gov.