NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE
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On Oct. 29, 2024, the Perth County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Avon Maitland District School Board (AMDSB) will be coming together once again to tackle a difficult and important community issue.
All community members are welcome to attend the free event, which will be held at the Mitchell District High School, in the Municipality of West Perth, to hear from two guest speakers. Melanie Knights has lived experience and will speak to her experience being trafficked. She is now the executive director of Bridging Gaps Anti-Human Trafficking. Detective Sergeant Ashley Horton is with the OPP Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, and will speak from the policing perspective, including warning signs, risk factors, local trends, and investigations. Following the talks, there will be time for questions and answers.
Community organizations will also be attending to provide support and resources for community members. Organizations include Victim Services Huron Perth, Perth Mobile Crisis Response Team, Optimism Place, Stop Violence Against Women, and the Huron Perth Centre.
Across Ontario, an increasing number of victims are being recruited for the purposes of sexual and labour exploitation. Typically, in Canada, victims are trafficked domestically, either intra- or inter-provincially. Throughout Ontario, police are seeing an increase in traffickers who are recruiting potential victims from small towns and transporting them using major highways to various destinations. Human Trafficking victims are often extremely vulnerable and rarely identify themselves or their trafficking situation to police or authorities.
What was once seen as a "big city problem" is now common across Ontario, and Canada. Local youth are involved and are being targeted. Parents, guardians, coaches, teachers, and anyone with young people in their lives need to know warning signs, and what you can do about it. It could be your child, or their friend, classmate, or teammate who is affected.
Come learn about Human Trafficking in our community, and what we can do to stop it.
Registration is preferred, but not required. Please click here, and search for events from the Perth County OPP.
Date: Oct. 29, 2024
Time: 6 p.m.-8 p.m. (Doors open at 5:30)
Location: Mitchell District High School, 95 Frances St. Mitchell, ON
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