Minister Toews Launches Awareness Campaign on Human Trafficking

September 07, 2010

WINNIPEG - The Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, today announced the launch of two national awareness campaigns to better inform the public about human trafficking.

The Crimes Stoppers “Blue Blindfold" Campaign, delivered through a partnership between the Canadian Crime Stoppers Association (CCSA), the RCMP Human Trafficking National Coordination Centre (HTNCC), and Public Safety Canada,  will serve to inform the public of the prevalence of human trafficking in Canada and how to identify and report suspicious cases.

"Today's announcement seeks to engage all Canadians in recognizing and reporting when exploitation due to human trafficking is going on around them,” said Minister Toews.”These images are disturbing and uncomfortable because this crime is disturbing and uncomfortable -- and it needs to be stopped. By exposing the reality of this terrible crime to the light of day, Canadians can better recognize and report evidence of criminal activity."

The RCMP HTNCC has assisted Crime Stoppers by providing human trafficking awareness sessions to Crime Stoppers members and call centre staff as well as assisted with the development of a protocol for call takers when receiving anonymous tips from the public of potential human trafficking cases.
The RCMP HTNCC has also launched its "I'm Not for Sale" awareness campaign. As part of this campaign, the HTNCC developed a human trafficking toolkit for law enforcement, non-governmental and governmental organizations and the general public. The HTNCC has included the Crime Stoppers tip line on all of its human trafficking awareness material.

"The Canadian Crime Stoppers Association, RCMP and Public Safety Canada all recognize the importance of combating human trafficking," says Ralph Page, CCSA Chair. "We see our awareness projects, the human trafficking toolkits and the tip taking capabilities of Crime Stoppers in over 4,000 Canadian communities as key components in reducing and eventually eliminating this crime."

"In order to save victims and apprehend those responsible for trafficking people, we need the public's help," states RCMP Sergeant Marie-Claude Arsenault, Human Trafficking National Coordination Centre.  "Our partnership with Crime Stoppers allows people to anonymously report the abuse and be assured that the information will be communicated to the police."

“The safety of our most vulnerable citizens, our children is of paramount importance, and our government takes it seriously,” said Member of Parliament Joy Smith. “Human trafficking and all forms of child exploitation is a horrific abuse of human rights that impacts all of us. Defeating it must unite us all as a nation in the fight to protect our most vulnerable citizens.”

If you have information concerning a human trafficking victim, please call the local police, or report it anonymously to Crime Stoppers at: 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
For information on the RCMP's Human Trafficking National Coordination Centre, please visit the website: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ht-tp/index-eng.htm
For information about the Blue Blindfold Campaign, please visit: http://www.canadiancrimestoppers.org/?content/human_trafficking.html