JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri attorney general’s office, having signaled plans to rebrand its anti-human trafficking efforts this year, recently launched a six-figure media campaign urging people to report suspicious activity.
The public service announcement campaign, featuring Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey, aired on television and radio in May and June and also included a small digital component, according to the Missouri Broadcasters Association.
Costs for the campaign totaled $210,000, said Chad Mahoney, president and CEO of the association. He said the PSA featuring Bailey was shot in April.
Bailey was named to the post by Gov. Mike Parson after Eric Schmitt, the former attorney general, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022. Bailey took over in January.
Besides potentially aiding anti-human trafficking efforts, the PSAs also helped to introduce the political newcomer Bailey to a statewide audience as he angles for a full term as attorney general in 2024.
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The campaign came amid an absence of news from the attorney general’s office related to human trafficking operations or initiatives.
Crystal Atkinson, formerly the AG’s anti-human trafficking coordinator, no longer works for the office and was last paid on April 28, according to state payroll records.
Despite this, Atkinson was listed as coordinator on the attorney general’s website Friday.
Attorney general’s office officials reported April 3 that the “Bailey administration (is) working toward rebranding task force” and promised “more info to come in the future,” according to for the Missouri Statewide Council on Sex Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Children.
The minutes said officials were “surveying other states to see what other AGOs are doing” and “surveying NGOs (non-governmental organizations) to gather best practices.”
Asked Thursday about the attorney general’s anti-human trafficking efforts, an office spokeswoman said to expect more news in the coming weeks.
“The office is close to resetting the statewide anti-human trafficking efforts,” said Maddie Green, spokeswoman for the attorney general’s office. “We will provide additional details in the coming weeks.”
The potential reset follows criticism in January of the state’s response to human trafficking, which one former state official called inadequate.
“In Missouri the people who are hired and appointed to respond to human trafficking ... are not properly trained, equipped, qualified and/or motivated,” said Alison Phillips, who directed the task force under Schmitt, in an email to lawmakers.
Elad Gross, a Democrat running for attorney general in 2024, expressed support for Bailey “hopefully doing something about” human trafficking.
But, he asked, “Is there action in that area that has led to you wanting to do this PSA, or are you just doing it for yourself?”
The 30-second spot shows Bailey urging victims and others to contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline to report trafficking.
The ad begins with a narrator stating, “You can help stop human trafficking,” and then cuts to Bailey, who appears in front of a black background in a vest emblazoned with the Missouri attorney general seal.
“I’m Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey,” he says. “Human trafficking is occurring right here in Missouri.”
Bailey tells viewers that they can help combat human trafficking by learning signs and reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement.
“Victims may appear malnourished, show signs of mental or physical abuse, or avoid social interaction,” he said.
“If you are a victim or know someone who needs help, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888,” Bailey said. “Together, we can fight human trafficking in Missouri.”
The president of the Missouri Broadcasters Association said it is not uncommon for officeholders to appear in PSAs disseminated through the Missouri Public Education Program.
Mahoney was able to find 13 examples of PSAs by various statewide officeholders since 2017, though he said it was not a complete list.
One example is State Treasurer Vivek Malek, another Republican sworn in this year and on the ballot next year, whose PSA campaign publicizes his office’s efforts to return unclaimed property to rightful owners.
The Missouri Broadcasters Association accepts public service announcements from governmental entities and nonprofits and delivers those to television and radio stations across the state.
The stations then decide whether to donate air time broadcasting the messages, with participating stations receiving a discount on broadcasters association dues.
Mahoney said that in an election year, due to Federal Communications Commission equal time rules, most stations won’t accept PSAs featuring a candidate on the ballot in 2024, such as Bailey or Malek.