Correspondence from Mrs. Cathy Peters Re: Human Trafficking strategies
A follow-up letter advocating for enforcement and education strategies to combat human trafficking.
Mayor David Screech View Royal Town Councillors, Copy Council agenda
November 1, 2016.
Dear Mayors, Councillors, Regional District Directors,
This is a follow-up letter to our letter of September 14, 2016 regarding the issue of Human trafficking/sexual exploitation, youth and child exploitation, youth porn use/addiction in BC.
We have included 5 strategies for Police to accompany the 10 strategies for City Councils that we sent previously.
We have also included a poster from the Vancouver “Buying Sex is a Crime” billboard and poster campaign. The Archdiocese of BC has sponsored this campaign, and they have also set up an excellent new website on trafficking locally: thetraffickedhuman.org.
We would like to see the 2 E’s: Enforcement and Education. 1. Enforcement of the law (Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act): Local police need basic training to the issue of Human trafficking/sexual exploitation, youth and child exploitation, youth porn use and addiction. 2. Education: Our youth need education about the seriousness of this issue. For example, “sexting” has become “cool”, but it is child pornography and illegal under the criminal Code even between consenting minors. In the same way we have stringent rules for children learning to drive cars (age restrictions, training requirements, L and N levels of competency) we need to start comprehensive “cyberspace safety training” to encourage “good humane digital citizens” so that youth understand the serious irretrievable consequences of online presence (it is permanent and enduring becoming their “life brand”).
We would like to hear what proactive steps your community is taking to address this issue of Human trafficking/sexual exploitation.
If you need more materials or would like a presentation to any stakeholder/community/advisory group, please let me know.
Key: It is not acceptable that women and children can be bought and sold in a modern equal society.
Most sincerely, Mrs. Cathy Peters
5 Strategies for Police:
- AWARENESS: All Police need to be aware of the issue. Take HT training courses (Police Knowledge Network, OCTIP; Office to Combat Training In Persons). Read “Invisible Chains” by UBC law professor, Benjamin Perrin. Incorporate the United Nations 4 Pillars: Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, Partnerships
- ADDRESS DEMAND: Until there is a deterrant for demand, this crime will flourish exponentially. Johns and the buyers of sex need to be targeted and charged; this is the law (Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act).
- SCHOOL LIASONS: Develop positive and strong liasons with elementary and high school students. Young people are vulnerable and are being targeted. “Education is our greatest weapon”.
- INVENTORY SCAN: Assess your community. Look for sex ads (Backpage, Craigslist, the newspaper, Georgia Strait); these will lead you to the buyers and sellers. List the businesses that are endemic to HT: escort services, modelling agencies, casinos, adult entertainment centers, tattoo parlours, holistic health centers, nail spas, day spas, massage parlours, strip clubs, cheap hotels. Be aware of their services/clientele. List all your community resources to support victims.
- COLLABORATION AND BEST PRACTICES: Share information with other agencies, RCMP, FBI, Interpol. Where are the best practices in the country? In the world? Halifax police addresses the North Preston and Preston “Finest” gang, RCMP operated “Northern Spotlight Operations”, London Ontario has veteran frontline worker and police educator Megan Walker (1-519-432-2204) from the London Women’s Abuse Center, Montreal vice unit, Peel Region Police in Hamilton in collaboration with survivor Tamea Nagy, Edmonton vice unit, Winnipeg police and the Tracia Trust in Manitoba, York police in Toronto with survivor Casandra Diamond of Bridge North, Ottawa police (made recent massage parlour sweep). Washington State with former Congresswoman Linda Smith and NGO “Shared Hope”; Seattle using Nordic Model. Sweden has successfully implemented and funded the Nordic Model of Law for the past 17 years: contact Detective Inspector Simon Haggstrom head of the Stockholm Police Prostitution Unit (his work is to charge johns).
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