Human trafficking in the Ozarks is an on-going problem local advocates and law enforcement continue to battle. Recently, a wave of social media posts have flared up new fears that it’s on the rise here, locally. I contacted several police departments in our area. No reports on these types of incidents have been filed. That’s not to say that there have not been incidence where people may have been followed, but I contacted both Thayer and West Plains Police departments. Thayer Police Chief Daryl Childers told me that no one had reported an incident to them but he said be aware of your surroundings and if someone is following you around report it to police. There were several reports on social media Wednesday about an incident at West Plains Wal-Mart, claiming someone tried to force a woman into a vehicle. When I talked to police they told me that the incident at Wal-Mart was a couple of guys following women around looking at their backsides. Again if there is an incident please report it to police. Human trafficking is a serious issue the law enforcement continues to battle.