'Those tips matter:' Oklahoma Attorney General's push to help trafficking victims

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is asking the U.S Department of of Health and Human Services to make improvements to the federal and state communication involving human trafficking victims.

In a letter to HHS Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Attorney General Drummond and 40 other attorneys general requested that the department require quicker cooperation between the operator of the National Human Trafficking Hotline and state agencies.

Drummond claims the company operating the hotline, Polaris, is not forwarding third-party tips about adult victims to state law enforcement.

“Law enforcement agencies must be able to rely on timely reports from the hotline about suspicious activity that can lead to arrests. Urgency and timeliness are critical in this endeavor,” said Drummond.

HHS is currently seeking applications from organizations that wants to run the hotline.

“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 attorneys general said in a letter.