State-level arrest trends for human trafficking and prostitution in Ohio, 2008–2018

The current study examined the impact of state-level human trafficking reforms on local enforcement of human trafficking and prostitution arrests. Utilizing data from Ohio’s Incident-Based Crime Reporting System (OIBRS), we examined 16,750 unique human trafficking and prostitution-related incidents from 2008 to 2018. The analysis included an examination of arrest trends before and after the passing of state legislation in 2011 to include trafficking in persons in the Ohio Revised Code. The addition of this law aimed to identify victims, provide necessary services, and coordinate investigation. The results revealed that human trafficking arrests increased slightly over the 10-year period. Prostitution related arrests varied over the same period but did illustrate a general downward trend relative to human trafficking arrests. Anti-trafficking legislative changes are intended to influence patterns of both human trafficking arrests and prostitution-related arrests. Implementation of new human trafficking laws appears to occur slowly; thus, future research should continue to assess the relationship between legislation changes and enforcement trends.