Executive Summary
- Event Details: A free three-day training seminar will be held March 10–12 in Kansas City.
- Target Audience: The course is open to law enforcement, prosecutors, medical professionals, and victim advocates.
- Curriculum Focus: Training will cover interdiction strategies, illicit massage business investigations, and victim identification.
- Strategic Leadership: The initiative is led by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office and the Human Trafficking Training Center.
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has announced a comprehensive statewide initiative to provide free human trafficking prevention training to law enforcement, medical professionals, and legal advocates, scheduled to take place in Kansas City next March. The program, launched in partnership with the Human Trafficking Training Center, aims to bolster the state’s capacity to identify and dismantle trafficking networks.
According to a press release from the Attorney General’s Office, the three-day course will be held from March 10 through March 12. The training is offered at no cost to a wide range of professionals, including police officers, prosecutors, probation and parole officers, intelligence analysts, and medical staff. The curriculum will be led by Dan Nash, the founder of the Human Trafficking Training Center, and is designed to address specific operational challenges in the field.
Officials stated that the program will focus heavily on human trafficking interdiction techniques, the execution of trafficking operations, and investigations into illicit massage businesses. Participants will receive instruction on identifying critical warning signs, managing encounters with potential victims, and initiating preliminary investigations. “Human trafficking is a crime that thrives in the shadows, and it can only be eradicated as a result of strong partnerships and collaborative actions,” Attorney General Hanaway stated. “Our Office is proud to offer this training to equip those on the front lines of combating human trafficking.”
This educational initiative represents a key component of the office’s expanding anti-trafficking strategy under the leadership of Diana Haines, the director of anti-trafficking operations. Haines, who has served the state for 16 years, emphasized the importance of resource distribution. “Missourians have been exploited by traffickers and predators for far too long,” Haines said. “We look forward to collaborating with our partners to create a network of resources that guarantees justice by locking up traffickers and predators and liberates victims to a life of freedom and independence.”
Operational Impact Analysis
The introduction of this specialized training highlights a strategic shift toward a multi-disciplinary approach in Missouri’s effort to combat human trafficking. By integrating medical professionals and social advocates alongside traditional law enforcement, the state is acknowledging that successful interdiction often requires identification points outside of criminal investigations. The specific focus on illicit massage businesses suggests a targeted enforcement priority for the Attorney General’s Office in the coming fiscal year. This educational push aims to standardize the response protocols across jurisdictions, potentially increasing the rate of successful prosecutions and victim recoveries in the region.
