New data from the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) highlights a concerning rise in human trafficking cases in the area, which is now nearly three times the national average.
The statistics were presented at a recent WRPS board meeting that discussed the growing trend of human trafficking incidents throughout the municipality. The figures show increases since 2020, with a sharper rise over the last three years.
The provincial average was reported at 1.99 cases per 100,000 people in 2024, while the national average was even lower at 1.22. In contrast, Waterloo Region currently stands at 3.4 cases per 100,000 people. This figure is 70 percent higher than the provincial average and an alarming 178 percent higher than the national number.
“I can only imagine what goes unreported or unnoticed and how that compounds this issue,” said WRPS board member Tony Giovinazzo. “The most shocking statistic among these is the common age for a girl; just 13 years old,” referring to the national average of girls who are trafficked.
Although updated national and provincial numbers for 2025 have yet to be released, they still suggest a troubling trend regarding human trafficking cases in Waterloo Region.
This rapid increase becomes evident when looking specifically at police reports since 2023. There were 69 reported incidents in that year, which rose to 87 cases in 2024 and further increased to 131 by 2025.
If we include prostitution-another aspect of human trafficking-the total for 2025 jumps to an alarming count of 205 cases.
The WRPS report identified two main factors contributing to these heightened police-reported numbers. The first involves support partnerships and programs that enhance tracking capabilities.
The second factor highlights the region’s strategic location within southern Ontario.
“We understand that through our highway corridor as one of Canada’s large municipalities, this area presents significant opportunities for human trafficking activities,” stated Chief Mark Crowell with WRPS.
Graph showing police-reported human trafficking averages per 100,000 people. (WRPS)
Despite an increase in reported cases over recent years, regional police charges haven’t kept pace with these figures. In 2025, WRPS filed only a total of 27 charges related to this issue involving just 14 different victims.
This brings their charge rate up to about 13.2 percent-slightly above the national average of around ten percent.
“These are some of the most complex criminal investigations due to various vulnerabilities and risks faced by victims,” said Chief Crowell. “When we evaluate our interventions-the charges made leading to successful prosecutions-those are indicators of success.”
Crowell also noted challenges regarding reporting both locally and nationally because “there’s a network of criminal activity linked to human trafficking tied into many forms of organized crime.”
“Often there’s hesitation and fear surrounding these issues that leave victims feeling exposed and vulnerable; thus we need information from various sources before initiating investigations,” Crowell explained.
![National human trafficking figures focused on child sexual exploitation.]()
Crowell emphasized that reports typically come through victim accounts, supportive agencies, or tips from community members.
The WRPS has committed itself to finding additional support systems aimed at reducing these troubling numbers; they’ve already partnered with #Not In My City-a campaign designed to combat human trafficking effectively.
“If there are organizations listening who want to help us out here, we’d really appreciate it because educating more people means more potential allies,” said Cherri Greeno, Director of Corporate Affairs with WRPS.
The service also mentioned it continues its e-learning course for officers and staff members while pledging that all personnel will complete this training by late-2025 as part of their development efforts.
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