A bipartisan coalition of 40 state and territory attorneys general recently sent a letter Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. urging the next operator of the National Human Trafficking Hotline to better cooperate with local law enforcement.
Polaris, a nonprofit organization that works to combat and prevent sex and labor trafficking in North America, has operated the National Human Trafficking Hotline since 2007 and has received millions of dollars in funding from Congress. It recently was discovered that Polaris was not forwarding third-party tips about adult victims to state law enforcement except in limited circumstances.
“As you consider applicants, we urge you to ensure that the organization that is awarded the grant for the National Human Trafficking Hotline demonstrates its commitment to being a partner to our offices and local law enforcement with timely reports of trafficking tips,” the letter said. “We have worked hard to teach the public the signs of trafficking and how to report it when they think they see it. But sending the public to the Hotline when they see someone in trouble is futile if the organization running it refuses to share those tips and share them in a timely manner.”
HHS is seeking applicants through May 2.