Human trafficking is a problem in Kelowna as it is everywhere across the globe.
That according to Kelowna RCMP Supt. Kara Triance during her quarterly update to city council Monday.
Traince says the issue first came to police attention in the summer of 2021.
"We had a 12-year-old female that was missing, she was located at a hotel alone and things did not add up. She didn't want to return home, she had access to a lot of cash and she was engaged with a police file," said Triance.
"We had a second file immediately after that with an individual located in an alley. She was a young girl from Quebec, didn't speak any English and was in grave need of protection."
Triance said a third file occurred last year when police were called in to work with ALERT, a law enforcement team in Alberta , to locate a known trafficker.
"I highlight that because I don't think many of us believe this happens in our community.
"It happens in places like airports, places like homes and in Airbnb's."
She says there are predators and victims within our community but the data to know where they are is not there.
"It's marginalized individuals who don't have a direct line to police."
Triance did highlight the "NotInMyCity" campaign, a partnership between the city, RCMP, Kelowna International Airport and Child Advocacy Centre to highlight human trafficking and youth sexual exploitation.
Kelowna was the first city to be trained in the initiative.
"Human trafficking involves the recruitment, movement or holding of victims who are exploited for profit and usually for sexual reasons or forced labour.
"The psychological restraints put on these victims and the emotional abuse and mental abuse has affected reporting and the stats we are able to glean from these instances."
