As a documentary at Forest Metropolis Movie Competition (FCFF) introduced survivors of human trafficking to the massive display screen, London’s police chief mentioned combatting the crime is a “big priority for us.”
Chief Thai Truong of the London Police Service (LPS) was a part of a panel dialogue following the screening of Darkish Freeway at FCFF. Truong mentioned trafficking is a “big problem” as a result of “there is a lot of money to be made.”
He emphasised that almost all of instances in Canada are occurring in London and the GTA alongside the 401 hall.
“We are laying human trafficking charges and our human trafficking unit is doing incredible work,” Truong instructed . “They’re combating pimps, traffickers that are operating in this space and if you don’t devote resources and priority to this crime, it goes undetected.”
London Police Chief Thai Truong speaks about human trafficking on a panel after the airing of the movie Darkish Freeway on the Forest Metropolis Movie Competition, October 29, 2024 (Brent Lale/ London)
That’s why as a part of the upcoming multi-year price range, LPS is trying to enhance capability of its human trafficking unit.
“It’s providing expertise and specialized training to not just human trafficking investigators specifically but providing a generalist perspective where we’re adding special officers with this training. It is increasing the capacity overall as an organization. That is something that this organization has not done to this level, but that is part of the plan for the next four years over the four-year budget process.”
The movie Darkish Freeway, directed and produced by Western College grad AJ Edmonds began out as a brief movie, however become a full-length documentary as soon as she began accumulating first-hand accounts from survivors.
“When I was brought into it, I had no idea that this crime existed around me,” mentioned Edmonds. “I had no idea how prevalent the crime of human trafficking was here, and once I knew, I couldn’t look away.”
An eye fixed-opening line within the movie is when Edmonds describes commuting on the 401.
AJ Edmonds, director and producer of the movie Darkish Freeway speaks about human trafficking on a panel after the airing of the movie on the Forest Metropolis Movie Competition (Brent Lale/ London)
“If you drive the 401 you are more than likely passing someone who is driving it unwillingly. That is being moved from jurisdiction to jurisdiction against their will, because human trafficking happens here.”
The highly effective tales are one thing Edmonds desires folks to make use of to begin to have interaction in dialog.
“If all you take away is going home and looking at a family member and going, did you know that this happens?” mentioned Edmonds. “Did you know the average age of a survivor, or a victim is 13 or eight for indigenous children? That is usually enough for someone that had no idea.”
One of many survivors within the movie is Kelly Tallon Franklin. She was trafficked within the 1980’s and now runs ‘Courage for Freedom,’ which presents schooling and advocacy together with help packages for fellow survivors.
Their web site states they’ve a mission to eradicate the human trafficking and sexual exploitation of ladies, boys and youngsters.
“Stop buying our kids,” mentioned Franklin, who mentioned she’s helped help over 900 minors in exiting the commerce.
In line with Franklin, there are lots of lengthy held misconceptions about what trafficking really appears like.
“Liam Neeson (in reference to the movie Taken) does not live in our community,” she mentioned. “The myths that have to do with snatch and grab, that’s usually somebody that’s already been trafficked and tried to exit. They could start out as a boyfriend or a friend or somebody that’s going to give them a job or help them. If the criminal doesn’t already have something that puts somebody at risk, the traffickers will create the risk in somebody’s life so they could start out as a boyfriend or a friend or somebody that’s going to give them a job or help them.”
Kelly Tallon Franklin, a human trafficking survivor speaks to CTV London after showing within the movie Darkish Freeway, October 29, 2024 (Brent Lale/ London)
She mentioned there’s household trafficking, trafficking by ladies on women, and youngsters which can be recruiting one another.
“At the end of the day, it’s about money,” mentioned Franklin.
“The statistics are highly skewed because it’s an underreported crime. We do know that since COVID, we’ve had over a 48% increase”.
Chief Truong – who previous to incomes the job as London’s prime cop, led models on completely different types of trafficking – mentioned it’s a gaggle effort to not solely determine the completely different ranges of trafficking, however to step in.
“I would say if it doesn’t look right, do something,” mentioned Truong. “Do something could simply mean making sure you’re taking note of what that girl looks like, what that individual looks like, obtaining as much information as you can and reporting it.”
