State leaders talk about how to combat human trafficking in Montana

October 13 was the third annual human trafficking symposium put on by the Montana Department of Justice

Nearly 20 organizations and non-profits gathered together to continue conversations on how to combat human trafficking in the state.

Discussions centered around three topics: social and community services, law enforcement and prosecution, and legislation.

“If we're willing to be silent today, our kids are vulnerable tomorrow,” said Lowell Hochhalter, executive director and co-founder of the LifeGuard Group.

Human trafficking cases have continued to increase in Montana with an increase of 871% from 2015 to 2021.

“There is no specific demographic. It's all of our kids, it's all of us, and it's all of our wives, it's all of our sisters, it's all of our sons. It's so vital for us to come together as a state and protect each other,” said Hochhalter.

Human trafficking investigators with the Montana Department of Justice (DOJ) initiated 64 cases in fiscal year 2022, an increase of 300% from 16 in the previous fiscal year.

In the upcoming legislative session, you can expect to see bills that would ask for more state investigators, harsher penalties for offenders, and allocating more resources for victims.