The OPP released their human trafficking data on February 22 that was gathered by the Intelligence-led Joint Forces Strategy.
Since the Intelligence-led Joint Forces Strategy was created in December of 2021, 21 police services have been involved in gathering provincial human trafficking data, including the OPP, Toronto Police Service, Greater Sudbury Police Service and the Treaty Three Police Service. Since late 2021, the collective police forces have conducted 66 human trafficking investigations across Ontario, assisting 61 victims. Seventy-two human trafficking charges were laid with 168 additional charges also laid against 28 individuals.
Victims ranged from 12 to 47 years of age, while those charged in the investigations ranged in age from 18 to 44.
Police say the median length of time to complete a human trafficking investigation is 382 days, due to the complex nature of the investigations which often require cross-jurisdictional approaches involving numerous police forces.
If you or someone you know is being trafficked, call your local police. The Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking has resources available for victims and survivors of human trafficking on their website at http://www.canadiancentretoendhumantrafficking.ca. A national hotline is also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-833-900-1010.
“Due to the transient nature of human trafficking, one police service cannot battle human trafficking alone – we rely on our law enforcement and community partners and on the public for support,” shared Detective Inspector Jordan Whitesell, the OPP IJFS Lead. “Together with the members of the IJFS, we will continue to fight for those who cannot, for those who live in fear, for those who do not feel like their life is their own.”
