Human Trafficking Awareness Day in Canada

February 22, 2024 is Human Trafficking Awareness Day in Canada. The day is recognized by the Canadian government to “raise awareness of the magnitude of modern slavery in Canada and broad and to take steps to combat human trafficking”.

In Alberta, human trafficking is real – and it doesn’t involve shipping containers like in the movies. People are trafficked for sex most often by someone they know. Over the past years, ALERT has seen the age range of trafficked individuals decrease.

Since the conception of ALERT’s human trafficking unit in 2020, counter-trafficking teams have lent their expertise to partner agencies in over 500 agency assists across the province. ALERT works swiftly to combat this violent type of crime and keep Alberta communities safe.

In 2023-24, ALERT Human Trafficking units reported:

• 30 arrests made;
• 212 charges laid; and
• 76 victim interventions.

“By design, this is an industry that operates in the shadows of society. It is integral that we break the taboo and talk about human trafficking, because the reality is that it’s happening here, in our backyards, in communities urban and rural,” said Acting Staff Sergeant Liana Deegan, ALERT Human Trafficking.

Dismantling human trafficking cannot solely depend on one person, or one team at ALERT. It is a community issue that requires open dialogue between friends, family, schools, sports teams, coaches, other parents, neighbours – everyone. When more people are aware of the issue, can spot typical signs, and are armed with knowledge to protect, we can call make a different as a community to prevent human trafficking.

To learn more about human trafficking, and spot the signs, visit: https://alert-ab.ca/spot-the-trap/

ALERT was established and is funded by the Alberta Government and is a compilation of the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources committed to tackling serious and organized crime.