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Woodstock Police Combat Human Trafficking

Tuesday, 24 October 2017 04:58

Helping victims of Human trafficking is the goal of Operation Northern Spotlight.

WOODSTOCK - Helping victims of Human trafficking is the goal of Operation Northern Spotlight.

Its a province wide initiative the Woodstock Police service supported once again this year. 

Community Service /Media Relations Officer with Woodstock City Police Service, Nikki VanLeeuwen says it's an issue in big and small communities and Woodstock is not exempt.

"It's our children, it's our mothers it's our sisters, so this is absolutely a community problem and we do need to talk about it, because I think families sometimes suffer in silence and isolation, and allot of these women are feeling those pressures as well" she adds that in a smaller community its more hidden, with most of human trafficking happening on the Internet and at local hotels and motels.

When it comes to Human Trafficking, The Woodstock Police Service is trying to dispel the myths that their role is to only make arrests. 

VanLeeuwen says the myth is that the police are only there to make arrests in human trafficking, but can't stress enough that it is the opposite. 

"Its a big part of our outreach, to meet women who are involved in human trafficking to know that police are your friend, and we want to support you make sure your safe, and if we can do everything we can to get you help, then we will do that."

This year, Operation Northern Spotlight helped rescue six people from the sex trade, two of which were under the age of 15. 

VanLeeuwen adds "all to often they are seeing young people getting pressured to do drugs, they have an addiction, and it pushes them to stay in that lifestyle, and a lot of families suffer in silence."

The Woodstock Police Service supported 45 other services in this year's province wide initiative to combat the issue. 


 

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