Increased cooperation between law enforcement agencies and community groups is having a positive impact on curbing human trafficking operations in Canada, according to police and advocates..Det. Sgt. Bob Hackenbrook, who leads the Human Trafficking Unit in Ontario's Peel Region, says both Ontario and Quebec have joint task forces that work with each other because some trafficking operations extend beyond provincial boundaries.."Some people are very localized; some people keep moving all the time. They cross the corridor from Montreal to Windsor and back. Some people just drive up and down the 401, hitting all the hotels along the way and victimizing these poor individuals," he told the Western Standard.."This isn't a story. This isn't a fairy tale. This stuff happens.".Ontario accounts for more than half of the human trafficking cases in Canada, according to the Peel Regional Council’s sex trafficking website..The Greater Toronto Area is a sex trafficking hub because it is near all the major highways and the airport, which allows for easier movement of victims across the country..Some Ontario municipalities have dedicated special resources and attention to the issue..In 2018, Peel Regional Council, which encompasses Mississauga, Brampton, and Caledon, piloted a strategy to address sex trafficking..In 2022, council endorsed a permanent program to increase awareness and coordinate access to services to victims, survivors and those at risk..Hackenbrook said his unit laid 147 charges in trafficking cases and helped 33 known victims in 2022. The previous year, 114 charges were laid against 32 people, helping 34 victims.."Our officers are very passionate about their work. We have a victim-centred approach to human trafficking in Peel. We care about our victims. Even the people that don't want the help, we try to support them as best we can," he said..The police service is one of 52 agencies in the Peel Human Trafficking Services Provider Committee. .Peel police work closely with social services and nCourage, an anti-human trafficking and trade service hub that includes the Elizabeth Fry Society and Catholic Family Services..Ncourage provides counselling, treatment, and legal advice and gives safe housing and transitional housing for victims. It also works with the Peel School District, which has its own anti-human trafficking strategy, in accordance with provincial regulations..A Growing Problem.Anti-human trafficking advocate, Cathy Peters, told the Western Standard Peel is leading the country in its approach..The author of Child Sex Trafficking in Canada and How to Stop It, Peters said the awareness of the problem and the willingness to tackle it is not present everywhere.."Canadians still don't really believe it happens here, but it's as much a problem here as anywhere. This is a global problem. Canada is not immune," Peters said..The Criminal Code has penalties for pimps, customers and traffickers, but not those selling sex. Even so, victims hesitate to contact law enforcement, which suggests the real number of humans trafficked is much higher.."When I present to the public I say the most important thing you can do is report to the police, because once they start to get multiple reports, that's when they can go to the politicians and say, 'Oh, by the way, we've got a problem developing.' Then the politicians cannot ignore it," said Peters..Even though police reports may understate the problem, they still indicate it is growing..In 2011, there were only 76 police reports of human trafficking, compared to 553 in 2021, Statistics Canada reports..Since 2011, Ontario has had 62% of all human trafficking incidents and Nova Scotia another 10%, both well in excess of their respective 39% and 3% shares of the Canadian population..More than 83% of police-reported incidents in Canada those years were in metropolitan areas..In early July, Peters made presentations to the West Vancouver police, but has also spoken to health regions and governments. She says each level has a role, as the federal government sets the Criminal Code but the provinces and municipalities carry out enforcement according to their budgets and priorities..The North Vancouver resident says her home province is a "weak link" for the problem. Although BC has "two excellent resources" in its VictimLink phone line and the provincial Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons, these resources remain largely unknown.."When I present to city councils and regional districts, they've never heard of those resources that are put in place by the provincial government. So, the local governments actually need to tap into the resources and start to use them," she said.."I'm trying to stop this silo mentality where everybody's doing their own things in their own corners, to get everybody collaborating to deal with human trafficking and child sex trafficking. It's the only way we're going to stop it.".According to the Peel Regional Council's website, “the crime of sex trafficking has surpassed gun and drug trafficking for the first time in history.”.‘Catching Up Fast’.During Stephen Harper’s time as prime minister, former Winnipeg Conservative MP Joy Smith introduced two private member's bills and the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act to combat human trafficking. She says the consciousness of authorities and the public is finally catching up.."Prior to my going to Parliament, no one believed there was any human trafficking in Canada. See, the US was way ahead, already working on the issue," Smith said in an interview.."Canada was behind. It is behind in some regards, overcoming this issue of human trafficking, but they're catching up fast. And they're putting a lot more into it than it was even three to five years ago.".Ms. Smith launched the Joy Smith Foundation in 2011 and has since been involved in more than 7,500 cases..In 2019, the federal government initiated a four-year national strategy to combat human trafficking. Also in 2019, the national Human Trafficking Hotline was launched at 1-833-900-1010, an initiative of the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking..Peters is encouraged by recent efforts.."It needs to be better, but it's improving every day. Because our motto is, 'It takes a nation to stop human trafficking,'" she said..A Statistics Canada report released in December, 2022, suggests the problem is hard to detect and measure..From 2014 to 2020, police reported 40,059 human trafficking incidents, but only identified an accused person 24% of the time..In 69% of those cases, charges were laid or recommended by police and such charges or recommendations resulted in court proceedings more than half the time (56%)..In all, 3,680 of all incidents proceeded to court, representing 9% of the total..Smith said it is better that such victimization is prevented in the first place, adding she wants human trafficking education added to school curricula.."Education is our greatest weapon against this horrific crime," she said. "We speak in many, many schools. And in every school we've spoken, someone always comes forward [with a personal story]. It's either a mother or a teacher.".Hackenbrook said every news article on human trafficking prompts someone to come forward with information.."I want to be optimistic. Human trafficking is like drugs — it's going to be there because there's always people trying to take advantage of other people, unfortunately," he said. "However, every time we locate a victim, every time we have an opportunity to speak to an individual who wants to listen to us, that's a win.."What we go back for are those little wins. We try our best every day, and that keeps us going, those wins."
