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Ontario police task force investigated 65 human trafficking cases in December 2021 – CBC

A group of 21 police services across Ontario has conducted 65 human trafficking investigations, helped 61 victims and charged 28 perpetrators since December 2021.

The Provincial Human Trafficking Intelligence-led Joint Forces Strategy (IJFS) includes the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) along with agencies from Greater Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Ottawa, Toronto, Six Nations and many other cities and First Nations communities across the province.

Greater Sudbury Police Service Det. Const. Stephane Brouillette said he and his colleagues have been involved in seven or eight human trafficking investigations since the provincial task force formed.

“So in collaboration with other police services throughout the province, we've been able to not only track, but also identify victims as well as traffickers,” he said.

Brouillette said Sudbury is a human trafficking hub for northern Ontario.

Victims have been as young as 12 years old.

“If you want to travel east or west or north or south, you have to travel through Sudbury,” he said. “And Sudbury is also a recruiting area.”

The Greater Sudbury Police Service educates young people on how they can protect themselves from human trafficking. (Jan lakes/CBC)


By collaborating with other police services, Brouillette said he can share information and .

He said colleagues in other parts of the province have helped him identify suspects and victims who were in the Sudbury region.

Brouillette added human trafficking investigations are complicated and can span across multiple jurisdictions, which makes collaboration between police services even more important.

Some of the victims are not prepared to exit the lifestyle. For one reason or other, they feel trapped.– Greater Sudbury Police Det. Const. Stephane Brouillette

According to the IJFS, the median length of time to complete a human trafficking case is 382 days.

Brouillette said officers in Sudbury often find victims through ads for sexual services. When they find those ads they arrange to meet with the person to gather information, and see if they need help.

“However, those meetings are not always successful,” he said.

“Some of the victims are not prepared to exit the lifestyle. For one reason or other, they feel trapped.”

He said some people don't recognize they are victims of human trafficking because their pimp has lured them under the pretence of a romantic relationship.

“Rather than using threats of violence or violence itself, they tend to… buy the victims expensive items, purses or have the victims nails done, or hair done and make them feel special,” Brouillette said.

To fight human trafficking the Greater Sudbury Police Service has also done education campaigns to teach young people how to protect themselves.

“Traffickers exploit the lack of public to perpetuate their heinous crime,” Greater Sudbury Police Service Staff Sgt. Guy Renaud said in a press release.

“The public can help by being aware of what trafficking looks like and reporting it. Family and friends play a vital role in  helping victims become survivors, by recognizing when something has changed in their loved ones and  reaching out.”

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PBJ Learning is a leading provider of online human trafficking training, focusing on awareness and prevention education. Their interactive Human Trafficking Essentials is used worldwide to educate professionals and individuals how to recognize human trafficking and how to respond to potential victims. Learn on any web browser (even your mobile phone) at any time.

More stories like this can be found in your PBJ Learning Knowledge Vault.

 

This “Eyes on Trafficking” story is reprinted from its original online location.

ABOUT PBJ LEARNING

PBJ Learning is a leading provider of online human trafficking training, focusing on awareness and prevention education. Their interactive Human Trafficking Essentials online course is used worldwide to educate professionals and individuals how to recognize human trafficking and how to respond to potential victims. Learn on any web browser (even your mobile phone) at any time.

More stories like this can be found in your PBJ Learning Knowledge Vault.