Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday is advocating for increased sharing of human trafficking tips with law enforcement and urging the preservation of federal funding for civil legal aid services.
Sunday, a Republican, joined a bipartisan coalition of 41 attorneys general in a recent letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The letter requested law enforcement be granted access to tips received by the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
The national hotline – 888-373-7888 – is a key resource for reporting suspected trafficking activity, Sunday said.
The federal department is in the process of selecting a new grant awardee to operate the hotline.
The previous operator, Polaris, did not provide law enforcement access to the tips, according to Sunday.
“At a time when law enforcement is working in unity with the community to bring human trafficking out of the shadows, access to these tips could lead to more charges against traffickers – and more help for victims and survivors, who rarely escape on their own,” Sunday said. “My office launched a Human Trafficking Section devoted to stopping these dehumanizing crimes, and access to this information would, without a doubt, strengthen those efforts.”
The hotline is funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families.
Sunday’s office said it was recently discovered that Polaris had not been forwarding third-party tips about adult victims to state law enforcement except in limited circumstances, and that there were sometimes delays of several months before tips were shared.
The attorneys general signing the letter are not seeking access to tips provided by victims and survivors who may not wish to be contacted by law enforcement.
The letter was led by attorneys general Lynn Fitch of Mississippi, Kathy Jennings of Delaware, Liz Murrill of Louisiana, and Aaron Ford of Nevada. In addition to Sunday, attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming also signed.
Tips can also be submitted via text message by texting INFO to 233733.
Separately, Sunday co-led a letter to Congress and was joined by 39 other attorneys general calling for the continuation of critical funding for the Legal Services Corporation.
The Legal Services Corporation provides civil legal representation to vulnerable residents in Pennsylvania and across the country.
Legal Services Corporation-funded legal aid organizations assist veterans with benefits, help domestic violence survivors access safety resources, and protect older adults from scams.
Pennsylvania has 77 Legal Services Corporation-funded legal aid offices, including in Bucks County.
“Everyone should have access to legal representation to maintain safe and stable housing, rightful benefits that keep them healthy, and protection against violence and scams,” Sunday said.
The letter was addressed to the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and the House and Senate Subcommittees on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies.
The bipartisan group of attorneys general pointed to Legal Services Corporation’s role as a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars, noting that 95 percent of its funding goes directly to organizations providing services.
Joining Sunday on the Legal Services Corporation letter were the attorneys general of Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
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