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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, O ct ob er 24 ,2 01 9 | 12 LEATHERTOWN LUMBER www. .ca HOT BUY FALL SAVINGS! 3/8-In. x 100-Ft. Polypropylene Braided Rope Diamond braided rope used for camping and fishing applications. 8919003 $8.99 WAS: $13.99 $19.99 WAS: $25.99 $8.99 WAS: $18.99 Poly Lawn/Leaf Rake Poly rake with 26 tines, 24" head, and 48" wood handle with cushion grip. 1385996 LEATHERTOWN LUMBER Quantities are limited. While supplies last. 1-1/4-In. x 25-Ft. Fat Max® Tape Rule Maximum durability and reduced blade breakage. Wide blade and easy to read graphics. 6123012 AS: $25.99 LIMITEd QUANTITy ON SALE ITEMS. WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. 264 Main St. N., Acton 519-853-1970 416-601-1259 Ontario is a hub for hu- man trafficking and the traffickers are becoming very familiar with Halton. These were some of the messages that came out of a human trafficking educa- tion seminar, which was held at Halton police head- quarters on Wednesday, Oct. 16. The event was present- ed by Crime Stoppers of Halton and the registered charity Courage for Free- dom, and began with a troubling reality check from Halton police Supt. Kevin Maher. Maher noted that in the last 12 months, 72 separate human traf- ficking related charges have been laid in Halton and 12 women have been rescued as a result. "I feel that this speaks to the depth of the problem and the tragic impact, the fact that 12 young women have suffered greatly and have been significantly traumatized here in Hal- ton," said Maher. "These are 12 women who are sisters, daughters and in some cases even mothers." Those present heard from two members of the Halton police human traf- ficking unit. Det. Const. Lukasz Walczykiewicz and Det. Const. Julie Powers said Halton is an attractive place for human traffick- ers, specifically those in- volved the sex trade, be- cause multiple highways pass through Halton and there are many hotels and motels along these high- ways for them to operate out of. Walczykiewicz said there is also a higher in- come level in Halton, which means the traffick- ers can charge more for their victim's services. Powers described hu- man trafficking as modern day slavery, noting the re- lationship between the trafficker and the victim is one of pure exploitation. Victims, she said, are manipulated into a life of forced prostitution and controlled with threats and often violence. The officers said there are four stages in the re- cruitment of a person by traffickers: Luring, groom- ing, coercion and exploita- tion. Walczykiewicz said there is no equation for how long each stage takes, noting some victims he has dealt with went through these stages in months while others took just days. He said luring is when a trafficker assesses, tests, collects information on a potential victim and works to make them feel special. Previously, Walczy- kiewicz said, the traffick- ers would attend schools, shelters, malls or parties to find vulnerable people. He says now social me- dia, and even dating sites, play a much larger role. Grooming follows. "These traffickers, what they are selling is the dream of each individual, each victim. They collect info, find out what their vulnerabilities are, what their goals in life are," said Walczykiewicz. "They're selling the dream, the condo, a lavish lifestyle, the vacationing, which at the end of the day never comes to be. The only person who benefits from the situation is the traffick- er." In the coercion stage, Walczykiewicz said, the trafficker may begin things like desensitizing the victim to sex acts and then rewarding them after- ward. He said the trafficker may suddenly stop shower- ing the victim with atten- tion, at which point the vic- tim tries to get back in his good graces by doing what- ever he says. The officer said exploitation and po- tentially confinement, iso- lation, abuse and threats follow. Powers said many victims are actually brand- ed with the traffickers' name or nickname. NEWS HUMAN TRAFFICKERS LIKE HALTON'S HOTELS AND HIGHER INCOME HALTON POLICE SAY TREND EMERGING WHERE HUMAN TRAFFICKERS MAKE USE OF AIRBNBS "I feel that this speaks to the depth of the problem and the tragic impact, the fact that 12 young women have suffered greatly and have been significantly traumatized here in Halton." - Halton police Supt. Kevin Maher See 60 PER CENT, page 13 DAVID LEA dlea@metroland.com Hover your camera app over this code to see more deals. featuring HOME INONTHE SAVINGS! with Your only destination for more coupons, more flyers, more savings. Products displayed are based on a sample of flyers available on Save.ca as of today's date, and are subject to change based on product availability and each user's location.