Human Trafficking Awareness Day

**** HRP Media Release

Human Trafficking Awareness Day

February 22 is Human Trafficking Awareness Day, and the integrated Human Trafficking Team is sharing information on what you can do to stop human trafficking in our community.

Human trafficking is a criminal offence that involves controlling, forcing, intimidating, or deceiving a person of any age in order to exploit them through various forms of sexual exploitation or forced labour. Investigators in the Human Trafficking Team focus on targeting those who are responsible for coercing people into the sex trade.

We need the public’s assistance to stop the exploitation of people in our community. You can help prevent human trafficking by:

Being informed about the issue
Knowing the signs of human trafficking and sexual exploitation
Contacting police if someone you know is being trafficked

If you witness suspicious activity you think may be linked to human trafficking, you should:

Not intervene. You may put yourself and others at risk if you intervene. You could also inadvertently interfere with an ongoing investigation.
- Record all relevant information, including names, dates, time, location, descriptions of people and vehicles.
Report it:
- 911 to report a situation where someone’s life is at risk or they require immediate assistance.
- 902.490.5020 to report an incident and have an officer follow up with you.
- 1.800.222.8477 to make an anonymous tip to Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers.

The integrated Human Trafficking Team wants victims of human trafficking to know that police are here to help. Our first priority is the safety of victims. Members of the Human Trafficking Team work with community partners to support victims, address their specific needs and get them to safety. Victims will be treated with dignity and respect and their safety will remain our primary goal. We want to assure victims that the decision to participate in the investigation is theirs and we will respect their wishes.

If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking:

To reach out for support or share information:
- Call:
  - 902-490-5142 to contact the integrated Human Trafficking Team. Please note this line is not monitored 24/7. To file a report and have an officer follow up with you, please call 902.490.5020. If safety is of immediate concern, please call 911.
  - 902-449-2425 to contact the Nova Scotia Human Trafficking Team, 24/7.
- Visit the Trafficking and Exploitation Services system website for a list of non-profit and government agencies that have specialized knowledge and training on the issue of human trafficking.

For more information on the human trafficking, visit: