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Lake Township Police Department develops a new program to help truck drivers identify missing children

Police are partnering with truck stops to post bulletin boards with the images of those who are missing.

The Lake Township Police Department is taking action to help locate missing children or teens who could end up in human trafficking. 

The new program is in partnership with local truck stops where thousands of truck drivers pass by daily. 

Preston Marks, a 14-year truck driver out of Cleveland, says he's seen a thing or two that has made him feel suspicious. 

"Just a gut felling you have. Something just doesn't look right," said Marks. 

Marks, along with all of the other truck drivers that pass through northwest Ohio, are being recruited to help locate missing children who could end up involved in human trafficking. 

"It's a new program or initiative on our part. I was talking with our community policing officer of what more we could do to perhaps impact us being in the hot bed of the human trafficking trade. That being Ohio, northwest Ohio," said Chief Mark Hummer of the Lake Township Police Department.

Chief Hummer says the plan is to post missing person signs on bulletin boards inside of several truck stops in the area. 

They include a Conoco, a Fuel Mart and the Pilot in Perrysburg which Marks likes to stop at. 

"We're like a family out here and most of us, the majority of us...you know, we have our bad eggs too, but the majority of us are always on the lookout for truth," said Marks.

Chief Hummer says the flyers, which will include photos and a description, are aimed at helping drivers easily identify the missing. 

"It just kind of makes sense. You know, the trucking industry has been very involved in helping law enforcement identify missing and endangered children. So we thought, just one more thing we could do to bring attention to it. And a little more of that see something, say something. We'll investigate it," said Chief Hummer.

Marks, a father and grandfather, says he and his fellow truck driver are willing to do anything to help police officers in the fight. 

"We correspond with each other. We see something that's not right, we'll get on the horn. Like I said, I won't hesitate to dial 911 because you know you're not suppose to try and get in the middle of apprehending something, but I mean, if we can thwart something and they're not moving, we'll try to do it," said Marks. 

The bulletin boards should go up in the next two or three weeks.The stores plan to post them close to the entrance or the restrooms where they are more visible to everyone. 

Police are still asking you to say something if you see something. 

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