The Dangers of Human Trafficking in Oxford County

Thursday, 23 May 2019 13:12

Everyone is invited to a free event next Tuesday in Woodstock on the dangers of human trafficking in Oxford County.

WOODSTOCK - Crime Stoppers of Oxford County in collaboration with community partners are hosting a public information session about the dangers of human trafficking in Oxford County.

We don't have any actual statistics from Woodstock and Oxford County on human trafficking, however the numbers coming out of London are staggering. We know from London Police Services that between 2013 and 2018, the number of suspected traffickers reported in London was 285, 433 individuals were considered to be at high risk of trafficking and contact was made with 533 individuals, including trafficked women and girls to reach out to them.

One of the speakers at the event is Stephanie Ellens-Clark with the Social Planning Council. The Social Planning Council has been asked to look into human trafficking our region and to find some possible recommendations for the community.

"Domestic Abuse Services Oxford hired us to find the key elements of a community response, because we do know that incidents of human trafficking are on the rise, United Nations has stated that is one of the fastest crimes growing, globally. So we know it is happening however the difficulty is we don't actually have the numbers to say for certain, how many people are being trafficked in our community."

Ellens Clark says they looked at two things to find the best practices for responding to human trafficking.

"We looked at the literature on the subject and we also interviewed agency stakeholders, so we talked to 18 different agencies in the community, places like the Health Centre, Family and Children Services and other agency stakeholders and then from that, we made recommendations on how the community can move forward."

Ellens-Clark will be sharing those recommendations at the meeting.

Human Trafficking is not something that only happens in the big city, it happens locally as well. Parents, teachers, law enforcement officers, government workers, caregivers, and residents are invited to join experts in the field to learn more about the strategies used to groom and recruit victims, what to watch for, and what to do if you suspect something is wrong.

The event will feature a presentation from Carol Pugh-Roberts who is a survivor of human trafficking. Human Trafficking is a growing problem worldwide and Oxford County is certainly not immune. Pugh-Roberts will share her incredible story of survival, while representatives of the OPP and Woodstock Police will explain the dangers of human trafficking locally. The police will be able to arm participants with tools to protect themselves and their loved ones. The evening will also feature a presentation from Domestic Abuse Services Oxford or DASO.

The evening will close with a question and answer period. It is happening on Tuesday May 28th from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Unifor Local 636 Hall in Woodstock on Beale Street. This event is free for everyone to attend.