Niagara police want to teach parents & teens how to stay safe from human trafficking

The average age a young woman is recruited into the sex trade in Canada is 13; 91 percent of human trafficking survivors knew their trafficker, often a friend, family member or intimate partner; social media, online gaming and other digital pathways have become common places for traffickers to groom, recruit or exploit their young victims; human trafficking happens in the Niagara Region at a rate that is nearly double the provincial average.

If any of these facts are a surprise to you, the Niagara Police are inviting residents to a human trafficking information session on November 25 at the NRPS Headquarters. 

The presentation from members of Niagara’s Human Trafficking Unit (HTU) will provide a detailed look at what human trafficking is; the red flags parents should look out for; what parents or friends can do if they suspect someone has become a victim; as well as the support options available for victims and survivors.

“Educating the community plays an integral role in combating human trafficking. The more the community is aware of what to look for the better they can protect themselves and others from it and know what to do if they see/experience it,” Detective Sergeant Tara Ryan of the HTU tells The Pointer.  

“The HTU has provided over 20 presentations this year. The HTU believes this awareness has had a positive impact and increased reporting to police and has resulted in more victims and survivors exiting and/or accessing support.”

In Niagara, human trafficking offences have increased rapidly over the last five years. While this increase coincides with the creation of the HTU in 2019, police say the increased enforcement and awareness are only part of the story. 

“Reports of human trafficking to police have increased over the years, with the HTU seeing significant increases over the past few years,” Ryan says. “However, this does not mean that human trafficking is a new form of violence and exploitation, it’s just being reported more now than ever before. The increase in reporting is believed to be in part due to the increase in supports for victims and survivors, and more awareness within the community on what human trafficking is. That is why information sessions such as this are imperative.”

Data from Statistics Canada for 2024 show trafficking in persons offences (the Criminal Code term for human trafficking) occur at a rate of 1.99 per 100,000 people in Ontario. In Niagara, these offences occur at a risk of 3.71 per 100,000.  There has been a particularly startling increase over the last three years with the HTU workload spiking from 81 investigations in 2022, to 159 in 2024—a 96 percent increase. 

The Niagara Police also identified 48 victims of human trafficking in 2024, a 700 percent increase from the year before, arrested 29 alleged traffickers (a 190 percent increase) and laid 107 charges against them (a 75.4 percent increase).

This included a high profile sting operation in February last year. Over the course of a four-day investigation at a Niagara Falls hotel, Niagara Police officers arrested 13 men for trying to have sex with a person they believed was an underage girl. 

The HTU targeted individuals trying to purchase sexual services from “young persons” over the internet.  The 13 men arrested range in age from 22 to 60-years-old. 

As a tourist hub and the intersection point of many major highways, Niagara Region has become a hub for human trafficking.

(Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking)
 

Ryan says it is essential for parents and young teenagers to be educated and aware of how traffickers operate and be aware of the common misconceptions about human trafficking, how it works and its prevalence in communities like Niagara. As a border region and with many large tourist attractions, the transient population, combined with the dense collection of hotels, motels, inns and other short-term accommodations create a perfect environment to necessitate the business of illegal sex. 

“The information session will discuss current trends and technology that community members/parents/teens should be aware of. There will also be handouts specifically addressing online safety for youths/parents,” Ryan says.

As part of the ongoing discussions for the Niagara Region’s 2026 budget, Niagara Police Chief Bill Fordy is looking to expand the HTU. 

Currently, the unit consists of three Detective Constables and one Detective Sergeant, who also oversees two other units, the Offender Management Unit and the Parole Enforcement (ROPE) teams. 

The budget request, if approved, could add three new members to the HTU: a Staff Sergeant, and two Detective Constables. Since its creation in 2019, only two new members have been added to its small complement, one in 2021 and another in 2023. 

“The additions to the unit have only addressed the previous needs and have not had the foresight to plan for the expected and now demonstrated increases in investigations and support required,” the Niagara Police proposed budget outlines. 

The increase in investigations has “outgrown the capabilities of the current model”, the budget details.
“Continuous improvement is required, and it is expected that for the 2027 year, additional personnel will be required for the HTU to bring it to a level where it can serve community needs adequately and effectively.”

Of the other large police services in Ontario, Niagara had the highest number of human trafficking investigations—doing so with one of the smallest investigative complements. 

Niagara Police are investigating more human trafficking cases than most other municipal police forces in Ontario, and they are doing it with one of the smallest Human Trafficking Units.

(NRPS)

For those interested in attending the information session on November 25, it will run from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the NRPS Headquarters Community Room (5700 Valley Way, Niagara Falls). 

The presentation, which is geared toward teens and parents, will be followed by a Q&A session. 

Those interested in attending are asking to RSVP at [email protected] 

Email: [email protected]

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