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WEBVTT >> WE ARE WORKING UPWARDS OF THREE TO FOUR CASES AND THAT IS ALL ON A VOLUNTEER BASIS. DENI: TYLER MANNING IS A VOLUNTEER WITH THE JEFFERSON COUNTY SEARCH DOG ASSOCIATION. HE SAYS IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, THE NUMBER OF TEENAGE RUNAWAY CASES HAS GONE U >> THEY NORMALLY DON’T WANT TO BE FOUND, SO IT’S PRETTY DIFFICULT TO BE ABLE TO LOCATE THEM. DENI: THE ORGANIZATION RECENTLY STARTED PARTNERING WITH FREE2HOPE, A NON-PROFIT THAT HELPS VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING. AMY LEENERTS IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. >> I WAS A FORMER RUNAWAY SO, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND A LOT OF THE DYNAMICS OF IT. DENI: THE SEARCH DOG ASSOCIATION PROVIDES MANPOWER, DOGS AND INFORMATION, WHILE LEENERTS BRINGS AN UNDERSTANDING OF RUNAWAYS AND SOCIAL MEDI >> THAT’S ONE OF THE BEST TOOLS WE HAVE OF ACTUALLY FINDING THESE KIDS BECAUSE THEY PUT EVERYTHING OUT THERE. THEY MAY HAVE 10 DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS. DENI: THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS ARE ALREADY SEEING THE BENEFITS OF SHARING INFORMATION. LEENERTS SAYS THEY FIND BETWEEN 60% AND 75% OF TEENS THAT THEY’RE LOOKING FOR. >> THESE ARE KIDS THAT HAVE HAD A TROUBLED PAST OR THEY MAY JUST BE GOING THROUGH A REALLY BAD TIME. DENI: LEENERTS AND MANNING SAY THEIR GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THE TEENS DON’T BECOME THE VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING. >> THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST READY TO FIND THESE GIRL YOU KNOW, HIDING SOMEWHERE, GETTING ON A BUS, AND GETTING OFF BY THEMSELVES, AND THEY CAN TELL THAT THEY’RE SCARED AND DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY’RE DOING AND THEY’LL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM IN A HEARTBEA DENI: FREE2HOPE AND THE JEFFERSON COUNTY SEARCH DOG ASSOCIATION ARE NOW WORKING ON PUTTING TOGETHER A COMPREHENSIVE DATABASE OF MINORS THAT ARE STILL MISSING IN KENTUCKY THAT THEY CAN SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC IN THE DAYS LEADING UP TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY. REPORTING LIVE, DENI KAMPER, WLKY

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Two local nonprofit organizations are teaming up to locate teenage runaways and prevent human trafficking. The Jefferson County Search Dog Association, a volunteer organization that helps find missing people is partnering with Free 2 Hope, a nonprofit that helps human trafficking victims. Tyler Manning, a JCSDA volunteer, said the partnership began organically."We crossed paths on several missing persons cases that we were working," he explained.Manning said JCSDA investigates an average of six cases of missing people every week, many of which involve teenagers who have run away from home. "They normally don't want to be found, so it's pretty difficult to be able to locate them," Manning said. That's where Free 2 Hope and its executive director, Amy Leenerts, come in. "I was a former runaway so, you know, I understand a lot of the dynamics of it," Leenerts explained. The partnership between the two organizations is primarily based on the sharing of information but also gives both nonprofits more resources. JCSDA provides manpower and dogs, while Leenerts brings her understanding of runaways and social media. "That's one of the best tools we have of actually finding these kids, because they put everything out there. They may have 10 different accounts," Leenerts said. The organizations are already seeing the benefits of pooling their resources and sharing information. Leenerts said they find between 60 and 75 percent of the teens they're looking for. "These are kids that have had a troubled past, or they may just be going through a really bad time," Leenerts said. The goal of both nonprofits is to make sure the teens don't become the victims of human trafficking. "There are so many people that are just ready to find these girls, you know, hiding somewhere, getting on a bus and getting off by themselves. And they can tell that they're scared and don't know what they're doing, and they'll take advantage of them in a heartbeat," Leenerts explained. JCSDA and Free 2 Hope are working to compile a comprehensive database of all minors who are still missing in Kentucky ahead of the Kentucky Derby in May.