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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, July 21, 2016 | 4 Police welcome help to curb human trafficking by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff With Canadians being 93 per of Canada's sex trafficking victims, Ontario accounting for 65 per cent of police-reported human trafficking in Canada, and Halton's sex trade hidden behind closed doors along the QEW and Hwy. 401, a recently announced $72 million provincial anti-human trafficking strategy is a step in the right direction. That's according to a detective with the Halton Regional Police Service Human Trafficking and Vice Unit. "This is very positive and a step in the right direction in terms of addressing this issue," said Det. Sgt. Raf Skwarka, Halton police. The provincial government announced the investment in late June, stating the strategy is aimed at increasing awareness, co-ordination and enhancement of justice-sector initiatives and improving survivors' access to services. Ontario a major centre for human trafficking The provincial government, in announcing the strategy, admitted Ontario is a major centre for human trafficking in Canada -- accounting for roughly 65 per cent of policereported cases nationally. The Halton police human trafficking unit can attest to this. This is very positive and a step in the right direction in terms of addressing this issue.... The entire strategy will be headed by the Ontario Provincial Police, working in conjunction with municipal and First Nations departments, in addressing the target issues. It is too early to say how the funds are going to affect us and how much each municipality will get in terms of support. We don't have that information yet. Halton Regional Police, Human Trafficking and Vice Unit Det. Sgt. Raf Skwarka The unit previously indicated on a single day in December 2015, there were around 45 women selling sex in Burlington alone. Halton sex trade behind closed doors It has also indicated Halton's sex trade takes place behind closed doors, largely in facilities along the QEW and Hwy. 401 corridors. For many, when they think of human trafficking, it conjures up the idea of women brought here from elsewhere in the world and forced into prostitution, however, the reality is that 93 per cent of Canada's sex trafficking victims are Canadian. The recently outlined provincial human trafficking strategy focuses on four areas of action including: · Prevention and community supports that will increase awareness and understanding of the causes of human trafficking, and improve community services like housing, mental health services, trauma counselling, and job skills training to meet the immediate and long-term needs of survivors; · Enhanced justice sector initiatives that will support effective intelligence-gathering and identification, investigation and prosecution of human trafficking; · Indigenous-led approaches that will support culturally-relevant services and responses -- designed, developed, and delivered jointly by indigenous partners; · Provincial co-ordination and leadership, including the development of a provincial anti-human trafficking co-ordination office to help improve collaboration across law enforcement, justice, social, health, education, and child welfare sectors. Skwarka said at this time, it is unclear when, how or if Halton police will benefit from the funding being directed towards combating human trafficking. "The entire strategy will be headed by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), working in conjunction with municipal and First Nations departments, in addressing the target issues," said Skwarka. "It is too early to say how the funds are going to affect us and how much each municipality will get in terms of support. We don't have that information yet." Voted the Best in Oakville We Invite you to nd out why! Call today for your personal tour. We'd love to have you join us! Discover Your Choices 380 Sherin Drive, Oakville, Ontario (905) 847-1413 www.vistamere.ca Retirement Living At Its Best