AG Hawley Expands Services Provided by Anti-Trafficking Task Force

SEMO Rescue and Restore, an organization based out of East Prairie and Kennett, shut down in July because they lost their funding, but Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley announced Thursday, Nov. 30, that the Missouri State Human Trafficking Task Force will now help nonprofit groups like SEMO Rescue and Restore struggling to find money to continue operating.

Attorney General Hawley, said, “Not only is finding the funding difficult, but the application process is also extremely burdensome for smaller groups in the state,” Hawley continued. “This is why the Task Force is stepping in – to help nonprofits navigate the complicated application process so that no other group is ever discouraged or forced to shut its doors. Empowering nonprofits in Missouri will enhance both law enforcement’s ability to prosecute traffickers and our state’s capacity to provide survivors with the critical services that they need.” The Human Trafficking Task Force was established in April.

Members of the group include law enforcement officials, local prosecutors, social-service providers, victims’ advocates, and individual human-trafficking survivors.

Nov 30, 2017, 10:59 AM

Jefferson City, Mo. – Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley today announced that his statewide Human Trafficking Task Force will offer assistance to nonprofits struggling to find funding for their anti-trafficking efforts. Just this month, it was reported that a southeast Missouri group halted its important work due to a lack of funding.

“Not only is finding the funding difficult, but the application process is also extremely burdensome for smaller groups in the state,” Hawley said. “This is why the Task Force is stepping in – to help nonprofits navigate the complicated application process so that no other group is ever discouraged or forced to shut its doors. Empowering nonprofits in Missouri will enhance both law enforcement’s ability to prosecute traffickers and our state’s capacity to provide survivors with the critical services that they need.”

Hawley’s Task Force, which was established in April, is the first of its kind in the state and includes law enforcement officials, local prosecutors, social-service providers, victims’ advocates, and individual human-trafficking survivors. The Task Force regularly meets to coordinate law enforcement efforts and services for victims.

This crime is not limited to certain communities or big cities,” Hawley said. “Human trafficking touches every corner of our state, and local nonprofit groups play a fundamental role in eradicating it.”

Groups or individuals seeking help with funding should contact Emily Russell, Executive Director of the Human Trafficking Task Force as Emily.Russell@ago.mo.gov.