Committee takes up human trafficking, missing‑persons data and school prevention work

HELENA — The Legislative Education Interim Committee received a broad briefing on human trafficking, missing persons and school‑based prevention on the committee’s school safety study (House Joint Resolution 53).

Steve Crawford of the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation described the state’s human trafficking unit as a priority for DOJ and summarized recent case types and victim profiles. "Human trafficking is essentially compelling for coercing another person's labor or services," he said, and noted an increase in labor trafficking relative to prior years. In 2025, DOJ said 52% of full investigations were sex‑trafficking cases and 29% were labor trafficking; the unit interviewed 20 adult victims in 2025 and reported recovering 15 adult victims and one juvenile.

Why it matters: DOJ and other presenters told lawmakers that adolescents and young adults — roughly ages 14–24 — are at elevated risk and that runaways, unstable homes and substance use are common risk factors. Law enforcement and state agencies urged training and prevention measures in schools as part of a public‑health and public‑safety approach.

Key briefings and takeaways

- Missing persons data: Kelly Gilman, who oversees Montana's Missing Persons Clearing House, reported a preliminary 2025 clearance rate of 98.3% with only 31 active entries as of her update; she cautioned the public that juveniles still make up the majority of reports (72.2% ages 0–20) and said Indigenous people are disproportionately represented compared to share of population. Gilman offered to provide follow‑up hotspot and repeat‑report analyses to the committee.

- ICAC trends and school outreach: Alan Doane (DOJ) summarized Internet Crimes Against Children work and said cyber tips routed from major platforms rose from roughly 2,026 in 2023 to 2,670 in 2024 and were projected to exceed 3,300 in 2025; ICAC investigations identified hundreds of victims and dozens of arrests and the task force conducts school‑focused outreach across Montana.

- STRC and MMIP work: Casey Pallister (Legislative Services, State‑Tribal Relations Committee) reviewed legislation and advisory work since 2018 addressing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons, including reporting improvements, the creation of an advisory council, the (inactive) LINC repository pilot and a missing persons response grant program. STRC is considering whether teacher training or curriculum could be a preventive step.

- OPI prevention resources: OPI staff described four Teacher Learning Hub trainings on human trafficking and child exploitation, new lesson plans connected to Indian Education for All and MMIP topics, and partnerships with the Montana Safe School Center to deliver in‑school presentations. OPI said it authorized a 1.0 FTE position for student safety and wellness to support schools and coordinate policy and training.

Committee response

Members pressed for metrics and implementation details: Senator Vinton said the state has repeatedly discussed school safety and MMIP concerns over multiple sessions and asked for concrete evidence of implementation and effectiveness. Members asked whether school districts track the use and effectiveness of metal detectors and other security tools; OPI said it will inventory local practices and report back.

Lawmakers also urged that trainings and prevention resources be adapted for classroom realities and that efforts recognize jurisdictional complexities when tribal, local and federal authorities intersect in investigations.

Next steps

The committee asked staff to coordinate follow‑up information from DOJ, ICAC and the Missing Persons Clearing House, including inventory data on school protective technologies, hotspot analyses, and updates on training uptake. The committee plans to continue the HJ53 thread at its March in‑person meeting.