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Release Date: November 5, 2020

 

As part of a comprehensive action plan to combat human trafficking and child exploitation the Ontario Provincial Police have established a new Intelligence led joint forces team from police agencies across Ontario, including the Ontario Provincial Police, municipal police services and First Nations police services. The East Region team will consist of officers from Kingston, Ottawa, Peterborough, Akwesasne and the Ontario Provincial Police. Kingston Police has one dedicated officer assigned to this newly appointed joint forces team.

 

The team’s goal is to identify, investigate and disrupt human trafficking organizations operating in Ontario and address the associated threat of organized crime. Children, youth, and adults are trafficked across the province on a daily basis and the City of Kingston is no exception, especially given the fact that it is positioned along the Highway 401 corridor between Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa.

 

Often the physical state of an adult or child who is being trafficked can be a key indicator that the individual is a victim. Some examples of this could be:

 

  • Tattoos, branding, signs of injury (e.g., cigarette burns, cutting), or malnourishment
  • Inappropriate dress, in the case of a child or youth (e.g., sexualized clothing, makeup)
  • Signs of intoxication or drug use (e.g., lethargic, level of alertness)
  • Appearance has been altered (e.g., hair coloured, makeup, clothing disguise)

 

 Children, youth, and adults who are involved may:

 

  • Avoid eye contact and interaction with others
  • Show evidence of fear, anxiety or resistance to speaking with police or other authorities
  • Display anger or an adversarial attitude

 

Often, when investigating incidents of Human Trafficking authorities will find that victims are been moved by their adult handlers from city to city and often operating out of local motels/hotels.

 

Human Trafficking can take various forms. Victims are recruited, transported, and kept isolated under coercion, threats or use of force. Trafficking can take the form of sexual exploitation or even forced labour.

 

Human Trafficking has been called a silent epidemic and is akin to modern day slavery. It is everyone’s responsibility to speak out and denounce Human Trafficking. If you see something, or hear something, please do the right thing and say something.

 

If you have information in regards to an individual who has demonstrated signs of being a victim of Human Trafficking please call Kingston Police at 613-549-4660. Alternatively if the victim is a child or youth you can visit the Canadian Centre for Child Protection website at www.cybertip.ca. If you are in Kingston’s surrounding rural areas you can contact the Ontario Provincial Police at 1-888-310-1122.