AG Schmitt Changes How Human Trafficking is Reported

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office is changing how human trafficking is reported in Missouri to help decrease response time and aid cross-jurisdictional cooperation, removing barriers to reporting human trafficking.

Combating human trafficking is a duty that we take seriously - Attorney General Eric Schmitt

Instead of using the Missouri-specific hotline, the Attorney General’s Office instead will be using the National Human Trafficking Hotline, and urges citizens of Missouri to also use the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

Calls made to the Missouri-specific hotline will redirect to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.  Utilizing the national hotline will allow for more coordination between local, state, and federal law enforcement across jurisdictions, which is crucial as most human trafficking cases cross multiple jurisdictions. Additionally, this change will decrease response time by law enforcement. The number for the National Human Trafficking Hotline is 1-888-373-7888 and online at humantraffickinghotline.org.

“Combating human trafficking is an integral duty of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, and it’s a duty that we take seriously,” said Attorney General Eric Schmitt. “Utilizing the National Human Trafficking Hotline is a crucial step to removing barriers to reporting, decrease response time, and allowing for more cross-jurisdictional cooperation, and it’s already working to aid potential victims of human trafficking.”

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story