THUNDER BAY - The Thunder Bay Police Service is looking to expand its outreach to Indigenous youth with the help of a provincial grant, but programming to help prevent people from becoming victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation will be pushed back.
On Tuesday, the Thunder Bay Police Service Board heard that two funding applications were submitted in 2017 to the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, with one being accepted and the second denied.
The accepted application was submitted in partnership with the Matawa Learning Centre and provides $118,000 to develop youth engagement programming.
According to acting Thunder Bay Police chief, Sylvie Hauth, the service is looking to strengthen its relationship with students and youth from Matawa through community visits.
“Not only in terms with the students attending Thunder Bay, but really connecting at the community level and provide information, presentations, and really building that trust,” Hauth said.
Hauth added visiting communities directly and allowing youth to engage with members of the Thunder Bay Police will provide a deeper understanding of the officer’s role in the city and the services that are available.
The funding will also be used to develop programming in the city to prevent alcohol related trauma in youth.
“It’s really giving youth a set of tools to make informed decisions in sometimes difficult situations or instances where alcohol can be a factor,” Hauth said.
A second grant application was submitted to provide funding for programming and education related to human trafficking and sexual exploitation in the city. It was submitted in partnership with Beendigen and the Ontario Native Women’s Association but was not successful. When grants are denied, no explanation is provided.
“It was really to address the issues here in Thunder Bay both from a policing standpoint but also in a community partnership with both agencies to look at high risk clients, have those conversations, offer out opportunities from the lifestyle, give them specific information about how to make decisions, and having those opportunities to walk away from sexual exploitation or human trafficking relationship,” Hauth said.
Hauth added that she is not sure if issues of human trafficking and sexual exploitation are more prevalent in Thunder Bay compared to other cities in Ontario but police have already undertaken projects to educate members of the public, such as hotel staff, about the signs of sexual exploitation.
“You may not be always attuned to those types of relationships or transactions that are happening,” she said. “That indication level is really important in terms of at that level to say: we rely on you too to help us identify potential victims that are caught in that kind of cycle or lifestyle.”
The Ministry receives hundreds of grant applications a year from police services across Ontario and the funds are limited. Hauth said even though the application was denied, Thunder Bay Police will continue to seek out other avenues of funding and will be submitting another grant application for the 2019 budget.
“We believe it is a very important issue that we want to stay on and be successful,” she said. “Hopefully we will be successful this time around and approve this project.”
