Florida ranks third in the nation for the number of calls placed to the national human trafficking hotline. The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce recently hosted a summit on the topic during a luncheon for local business owners.

The panel was moderated by Dottie Groover-Skipper, who fights human trafficking with the Salvation Army's Florida division. The panel also included Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister; Assistant Statewide Prosecutor with the Florida Attorney General's Office Julie Sercus; Dr. Dion Samerson, Medical Director for St. Joseph's Hospital's Emergency Department; and Elizabeth Melendez-Fisher, CEO and Co-Founder of Saleh Freedom, a Sarasota-based nonprofit that helps sex trafficking victims.