Courtney Kinkoph went missing from a group home in Willoughby nearly three years ago. She had long-battled substance abuse and mental illness, so her parents took charge of her care. But three months later, first responders in Cuyahoga County found her dead, an apparent victim of human trafficking.

Her mother, Carolyn, doesn’t want any other parent to live the hell she’s experienced.

So, she is again partnering with the Cleveland State University Police Department for free training for public safety officers and professionals. CSU will host a Human Trafficking Training on July 17-18, 2024, from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. each day.

“It is my hope to honor Courtney’s memory by continuing to raise awareness about this critical social justice issue,” she said.

The free training is designed to equip police officers with essential skills to identify suspects and protect victims involved in human trafficking. The course is also open to prosecutors, analysts, advocates, probation and medical professionals.

Attendees will learn to:

•            Recognize indicators and transition from routine calls to human trafficking incidents
•            How to look for and properly obtain evidence, including from cell phones
•            How to appropriately interview victims and suspects for results
•            Understand PTSD, trauma bonding and how to interview a trafficking victim

The training will be instructed by Dan Nash, a retired Missouri state trooper in the Human Trafficking Unit.

The training will take place in the Cleveland State University CSU Law Moot Court Room, 1801 Euclid Avenue, LB 101, Cleveland, OH. While it is free, registration is required at: Human Trafficking Interdiction / Operations | HTTC (humantraffickingtrainingcenter.com).

This course is approved by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission for 16 CPT hours in the following categories:

• Human Trafficking – Interdiction (8 general hours)
• Human Trafficking – Special Victims Methodology (8 general hours)

For more information, media are welcome to contact Carolyn Kinkoph at 440-339-4494.