THUNDER BAY -- Members of the Thunder Bay Police Service made contact with eight sex-trade workers they believe have been exploited by criminals involved in human trafficking.
The project was undertaken recently in conjunction with a national police effort to combat trafficking. It was part of a global operation led by the RCMP, the FBI and police services from five other foreign countries.
In Ontario, the project was coordinated by the OPP, working with municipal police services.
Peterborough police say they rescued two 15-year-olds who were being exploited in the sex trade. Across the province, 12 people were charged with 21 offences as a result of the operation.
Although no charges were laid in Thunder Bay, local police spokesperson Chris Adams says important contacts were made with sex-trade workers from out of town whom police consider to be victims in need of help.
"It's not targeted against them," he said. "It's trying to provide mechanisms to help them."
In an interview on Wednesday, Adams explained that women come to Thunder Bay and set up shop in hotels or elsewhere "but we know that there's often connections back to southern Ontario, Quebec or other provinces."
He said Thunder Bay has become a hub for organized crime, and there is "an intertwining" in the city between prostitution, human trafficking and drug trafficking.
Police, Adams said, try to target the individuals "who are using these people, exploiting them," but he added that that's hard to do sometimes because it requires the cooperation of victims.
He said the recent outreach to the women was important because it's necessary to build trust relationships with them.
"It isn't just a police effort. It also involves support agencies. We wanna make that contact and say 'You are not alone. There is help available. There is a way out' ".
Adams said that there may be an occasion in the future when a sex-trade worker seeks help because she now realizes police "aren't there to be the prosecutors of the law but are there to offer support."
Establishing that understanding, he said, is what's required to bring down human trafficking networks.
In January of this year, Thunder Bay Police located a 17-year-old female reported missing from southern Ontario. She was returned safely to her home, and two Toronto men were charged with human trafficking in connection with the case.
One of the accused was arrested in Thunder Bay, while the other was apprehended by Peel Regional Police.
